Tales Of Symphonia Next Generation
by IndigoSnake16
Summary: The world is reunified and all of our lovable characters from the first game have finally settled down and had children of their own...right on time for another epic adventure to begin! RegalXRaine, LloydXColette, ZelosXSheena, GenisXPresea. Told in the POV of RXR's daughter Leona.
1. A Lovely Maiden

AN: Before you read this story, you should know that Regal/Raine relationship will be a semi-big part of this story and if you're not entire convinced of that coupling, I would implore you to read "One of Us" by MixedBreedMaiya who is an expert in all things Regal/Raine and writes awesome stories on this site.

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Chapter 1: A Lovely Maiden

She stood alone in the twilight, the reflecting rays of the sun striking her lovely form. She wore one of her trademark dresses, a mix between a simple sundress and a far more elaborate ballroom dress. Her sunflower yellow dress was made almost completely of a comely variation of silk threads, charmeuse, a lightweight silk satin with a more subdued luster. White silken cloth bundled at her shoulders and then draped loosely upon arms covered in flowery-shaped patterned sleeves of Chambray, a lightweight cotton. Some of her milk-white skin could be seen between the spaces of each small flower threaded loosely to the next.

A rectangle shaped collar showed her well-defined collarbone, a long graceful neck, and a whisper of cleavage that hinted at her blooming breasts. It clung to her flat stomach and small waist in the way a corset might. A tightly threaded green silk design decorated the front of her dress stretching from the point where the collar met her breast until the cusp of her waist. They were akin to vines twisting upon itself in an impossibly complex fashion. A thicker white thread set against the green and the yellow outlined her waist and then the dress flowed downward and outward like an upside down rose stopping just above her ankles. The ends of the dress copied the same intricate flowery design of her sleeves. Below there, one could see white stockings. On her petite feet she wore yellow suede short boots that had no heels whatsoever on account of her already 5 feet height.

She was a girl of twelve, not quite a teen, but not a small child either. She wore her long, silken hair long and unabated. Periwinkle colored hair fell down to her waist. Shorter pieces of her hair near the front fell down upon her rosy cheeks and stopped just below her jawline—instead of bangs these protruded from her ample hair near her forehead. Her eyes were a striking, cool blue and her features well-proportioned upon a small face. Her slightly, pointed ears naturally divided the shorter front part of her hair from the longer rear part. She didn't smile often not because she was constantly unhappy, but because she never could find a compelling reason to do so, but when she did, it was said that she could brighten an entire room of depressed people.

She'd just then been watching the sunset out on her room's balcony located on the third floor of the modest manor she resided in. There was a light tap on the door. She could hear her mother's voice on the other side calling her name. "Leona?" She turned to it expectantly knowing already who it was.

"Come in," she said politely out of practiced habit.

A half-elven woman opened the door, her mother, better known as Raine Sage. She smiled pleasantly at the reclusive child.

"Food's ready, honey. I think your father's really outdone himself this time," she said with a grin.

"Alright, I'll be down in a few," Leona answered in a cool tone.

"Don't take too long," Raine warned her and then took her leave of the room.

Leona was actually looking forward to this dinner not because her father would treat them to his excellent cooking, but something entirely different. Her birthday was fast approaching…and she wanted to let them know that she had no interest in having a "party". There would always be a party when it came to her birthday and there would always be people there that she had no clue as to who they were. It was at these parties that she was introduced to others that it was obvious her father knew well. They were nice people, sure, but she felt no connection to them. They were her father's and mother's friends not hers and their children were…of no interest to her. They behaved far too immature for her tastes. She hadn't even bothered to remember their names—she simply remembered that there had been the two obnoxious red-headed twin boys who would never leave her alone…

Now was her time to formerly express her nonexistent interest in such things. She had a sneaking suspicion, however, that her parents used her birthday as an excuse for a get-together with old friends. Leona had no friends and she was perfectly fine with it remaining that way.

She made her way down to the dining room after washing her hands upstairs and was immediately presented with a table filled with quite a bit of food—it was quite a spread filled with food of almost all variety. Leona shook her head in irritation. Why did her father have to make such overly extravagant food? They would never get through all of it. Her mother certainly didn't have the biggest appetite and hers was lesser still. Not that food was ever wasted around the house, but they would certainly have leftovers for days…There was no particular reason for such a feast, she suspected. Her father could simply just be in the mood.

As was her father's habit, he pulled out a chair for her when she entered the room and Leona graciously took a seat there. She suspected she was quite lightweight to her muscular father when she felt her chair practically float closer to the table. They didn't always eat together as a family, but it was something that happened at least once a week, her father was the President of the Lezarano company and her mother was a teacher at a nearby school which demanded equal if not more time than her father. They both worked diligently and treated their jobs with the utmost earnestness—it was a trait they both shared.

They never began conversation about what they'd been doing all day. Instead, their focus would be exclusively on her. She sat next to her father and her mother sat on the other side.

"How was your day, honey?" Raine asked the child with a smile.

She seemed genuinely interested in her day, but Leona could not figure out why. It was the weekend anyway, she hardly did anything that day besides tending to the garden and she told her mother this.

"I haven't been out to the garden in quite some time. How are the tulips faring?" her father asked in his ever pleasant tone.

"Well, it's spring, isn't it? They're all starting to bloom."

"I'm sure yesterday's rain wasn't exactly appreciated by the flowers."

"I added some sand and dry pine bark to hasten the drying of the soil—just like you taught me before."

There had been a disastrous year with the garden when Leona had forgotten about the plants which did not favor overly moist soil and she'd cried piteously when she found many of the flowers dying and wilting away. She'd run to her father who was always sympathetic when it came to her tears and she had hoped that he could magically fix everything. He instead taught her a very important lesson about paying attention to details. Still to sate her despondency he bought her a garden's worth of new blooming flowers of the ones that had died—a decision that her mother had frowned upon.

"It was quite a sunny day today," Raine added, "I think they'll be fine."

"Sunny?" Regal said to the woman sitting across from him, "More like _sweltering_."

"A nice day to go to the beach," Raine said with a mischievous grin. "You would think you'd like such weather for owning a summertime resort. Speaking of which, I bet it was quite busy for you today. Yet you seem in a good mood."

"That's the thing, it _was_ busy, but before I knew it time had gone by so quickly and then I was no longer needed. I'd say that's a good day."

"Indeed," she agreed. "It's always busy for me, but, Regal, I really think my students learned something quite valuable yesterday. Remember that history class that caused so much controversy years ago?—we've come a long way from that."

"I'm glad to hear it. It always starts with the children."

"Yes, they were quite receptive to it. It was beautiful."

Her mother could go on and on about "her children" at the nearby school she taught at and that Leona herself attended. She'd heard many tales of the controversy that had plagued the school in its early days. It had taken ten whole years to secure its reputation for a good, wholesome education and Leona knew it was in no small part due to her father's influence. The school was their crowning glory and they would speak of it often. Sometimes it bored her near to death. But before they could go down that road again…

"Mother, father, I have a birthday coming up soon and I would like to say that I do _not_ want a party. I would much rather spend it quietly."

She watched as her parents looked at each other with a glance that only they could read—an action that always annoyed Leona who was yet to be able to interpret them sufficiently.

"If that's what you desire," her father began, but then Raine interrupted him.

"You always give in so easily," her mother said and this made Leona frown. She could get her father to do anything, but her mother was a different story altogether. "This birthday is even more special for you. You're turning thirteen."

"Yes," Leona said not fully understanding what her mother was getting at.

"You're old enough to marry in the eyes of the government."

Leona found that she was no longer looking at her mother, her eyes seemed to have glazed over in shock. "Are you…are you going to marry me off?"

"Will you stop scaring the girl, Raine?" her father said sympathetically. "She is right, though," he said looking at Leona's blank stare. "You would be old enough to marry, but that does not that mean you _have_ to and I, of course, would object to doing something so drastic so young. Nonetheless, it would be a very important birthday for you. It is for tradition's sake."

"So…did you have to do the same thing?" Leona asked to her father.

"Yes, I did, but nothing ever came of it. It is simply the remnants of the days before when marrying off daughters and sons carried far more importance."

"Then why do we have to do it at all if it's of no consequence?" Leona pressed.

"We do not have to," her father said to her. Leona saw her mother give him one of her glares. "But your mother and I thought it would be a good chance for you to socialize with others your age."

_Socialize?_ Who did they think she was? She would socialize with whomever she pleased. It wasn't that she didn't want to, it was that she had not found anyone worth her time and effort.

"I go to school every day," she said stolidly.

"Yes, you do," Raine said with a laugh, "And I hear about your day every time, but I never hear about the friends you've made."

"I go to school to learn," she said stubbornly, "not to be distracted by others."

"And that's why a birthday party would be perfect for you," Raine replied.

Leona wondered if her mother had gone completely crazy. If she wasn't mistaken, wasn't this the opposite of what she was saying?

"I suppose there's no way around this," Leona said looking away from her mother.

"Unless you have a compelling reason why not to do this, then no," Raine said with a smile.

"Don't look at this as punishment. It is an opportunity to experience something you haven't before," he added looking at her with emphatic eyes.

It was difficult to stay angry when he looked at her like that. Besides, she was beginning to think there was some merit to what they were saying. When she was in school, she was focused on learning and nothing more at least while she was in class, but at lunch time, the fact that she had no connection to her fellow classmates became painfully obvious. She would sit alone and that would be the end of it. She hated lunch and she hated P.E. She hated anything that would remind her of her lack of friends. If she could have convinced them, she would have preferred being homeschooled.

Leona excused herself from the table when she had her fill and went back upstairs to her room where she could return to her sweet solitude. She took up the book that lay on her bed, curled up under her downy comforter and dived into the world her book so effortlessly created.

Before she knew it, hours had passed and she had finished her book. It was only for that reason that she looked up from it. She probably could have continued all night otherwise and since it was the weekend, no one would tell her it was time to go to bed. She laid down a bit in her bed reminiscing on what she had just finished reading, but growing bored of this, she crept downstairs to see what her parents were doing. When she was quiet for a long time, her parents would always assume she was asleep especially during the weekdays and one of them had come to turn off her lights as she pretended to be asleep. Lithely she would move somewhere near them—most times they'd be in the living room conversing—sit down and simply listen to their voices; her father's deep, but soothing tones, and her mother's lighter, but sharper tongue.

She could stay there forever listening. She'd hear the clink of champagne glasses, the genuine soft laugh of her mother and an air of sweet contentment. They were quite perfect for each other. Leona doubted she'd ever find someone who would make her feel the same way. Sometimes their pleasant conversations would become explicit. Instead of sitting across from one another, they would sit very close together, her mother's head leaned lovingly into her father's broad shoulders. They wouldn't do much more than kiss on such occasions, but they were long, intimate kissing sessions in which Leona was sure she probably should not have been privy to. She didn't see anything, she simply heard and made her own conclusions. But she found it all to be quite beautiful.

This night they simply talked not about her as she had suspected, but about some research that had caught her mother's attention—it was all quite boring, but it made her content all the same. She remembered the time when she was much younger that she had asked them point blank for some siblings of her own. Her parents looked at each other with weary looks, but that did not deter her. She asked them a few more times before her father sat her down and somehow convinced her that she was likely not ever going to have brothers or sisters and that it was perfectly normal that way. If she wanted to have some playmates then he had no problem allowing her friends to come over. But therein lied the problem, she had no one to invite over. She had wanted her very own siblings because then they'd be related to her and they might be similar enough to her for her to tolerate.

It was quite late into the night when her parents deemed it time to go upstairs to their bedroom. Leona moved further away so that they could not see her as they came around the couch. Even if she wasn't nearly as silent as she was then, she doubt they would have noticed. They were far too distracted with each other. She peered around the couch and saw them standing there together. Their arms were wrapped around one another and they kissed quite deeply and passionately. The scene was quite breathtaking and it gave her a very warm feeling. _How beautiful…_

They exchanged a few words and then she ducked her head back around the corner of the couch and watched as they exited the room and climbed upstairs. She waited until she could no longer hear their footsteps before even attempting to do the same. With a rare smile on her face, she made her way back to her room and dreamed only of love and warmth.


	2. Train Me

Chapter 2: Train Me

Leona woke at her usual ridiculously early time in the morning and went about cleaning herself and getting ready for the day. Instead of a dress, she wore something a bit more appropriate for the day; black leggings with sunflower print, a bright red skirt with little ladybugs sewn into the hem about the entire cloth and a yellow camisole. She tied her hair back tightly into a high ponytail and allowed the tendrils of her hair to still frame her face. She put on her boots, but these were black and leather and came up to her ankles.

With a bit a giddiness, she made her way a floor down from where she was and went directly to her parents' room. Their door was opened a crack; it meant that she could enter. Upon their king sized bed, Leona could tell that her father was still there and that her mother's side was empty. Already, she could hear the water on in the shower where her mother was getting ready for the day—a bathroom was attached to the room. In fact, she could see the door some distance away from the bed that took up the central area of the room. She took off her boots before jumping on the bed landing on her knees and legs. Her father was turned from her, his hair somewhat covering his face and in complete disarray behind him. She played with it for a little while twirling it betwixt her fingers until she sighed loudly so that he could hear her.

"Daddy, you promised me you would train me today." She only used "Daddy" when she really wanted something. She was forced to repeat herself a little louder when the other did not reply.

"Yes…I did say that…" he murmured, sleep clearly in his tone.

Leona waited for the other to do something more, but she was greeted with more silence—he'd probably fallen back to sleep. She glanced over at the digital clock near the bed—5:13am. She supposed she had three hours tops to wait before he would wake on his own considering how late they probably went to bed last night and how long her father usually slept. Bored one day, she had decided to spend a week observing when and how long her parents slept and Leona noted that her father slept far longer than her mother who needed on average two hours less to feel equally as revitalized in the morning. As for herself, her habits leaned more towards her mother.

"Daddy?" Leona asked despite herself.

"I'll…take that to her later…" he murmured tiredly.

Her eyebrows creased in confusion, but then decided that it most likely had nothing to do with her at all. She looked away in irritation. Three more hours it was. Just then, her mother stepped out of the bathroom with a white bathrobe tied securely around her.

"Leona," Raine said with a smile. "A bit early for you, isn't it? And you're all dressed up."

"Yep," Leona said with a nod. "Dad said he would train me today."

"Oh, I see and you thought you'd get an early start," she said with a laugh.

Leona gave the other a half-smile and then nodded.

"Now what have I told you about interrupting your dad's sleep?" her mother said sitting down on the edge of the bed.

Leona joined her there. "Well, you told me in so many words not to do it."

"You understand why, right?" her mother asked gently.

"Because…it is annoying?" Leona replied in a questioning tone.

"If that was all it was, then I'd have no issue whatsoever." Her mother looked away from her and began to look at the wall in front of them. "You see, humans require more sleep than you or I and from what I've read from countless books, getting a full night's rest has many benefits, one of them being having a longer life."

Then Leona knew exactly where her mother was going with this. She'd been told long ago that her mother was a half-elf and her father human. It was common knowledge to her early on. It was also common knowledge that half-elves lived much longer lives than humans. That was always something she'd chosen to ignore, she didn't want to think about it. But it was an uphill battle as far as ages went; her father had always been ten years older than her mother. She shook her head at the thought. She simply did not want to think about it. As her father said as she expressed her concern about it to him, "You can only live in the now." But that did not stop her mother from secretly worrying about it from time to time. It was little things that perhaps her father would not catch onto. For instance, never interrupting his sleep or waking him up too early. Of course, leave it up to her mother to bring up topics she'd rather not have to ponder over. Immediately she felt horrible. She'd only been thinking of herself and the training that _she_ was promised.

"I'm sorry," Leona apologized, "I won't do it again."

"Oh, honey, don't take it so hard. Really, I'm the one who should be apologizing. I suppose I'm asking a lot from you. I'm not saying you shouldn't do it at all, but when you do, it should be for a good reason. If I'm not mistaken, you two have all day to train and it's still quite early in the morning."

Leona nodded slowly. It made sense logically, but she had been anticipating this day since the last training session with her father. They did these on a fairly constant basis, but that did not stop her from becoming excited about it each and every time.

"Now I'm going to start some breakfast since I'm already up."

Her mother's skills at cooking had improved according to her father, but after being introduced to her father's food, her mother's food paled in comparison. In fact, her food was always a miserable attempt at making something far grander, but it was still edible and her mother could be scary if she was pissed off so Leona made sure not to complain too much.

Leona put back on her boots and went out to the garden to check on how it was doing. The very first thing she checked were the tulips. They had fared well through the night; the moisture was sufficiently eliminated much to her relief. It brought a brief smile to her face. She began to look at the other varieties as well, checking the soil and making sure they required nothing more from her. She watered a few of them; the sun had been sweltering yesterday as her father had mentioned and not all the plants there were like the tulips.

Eventually, her mother found her and brought her in for breakfast which wasn't as tragic as her mind had anticipated. Then again, her mother had decided not to try anything too complicated. They ate in peaceful silence for a short while.

"What are you going to do today?" Leona asked her mother.

"Well, I do have a massive stack of papers I have to grade today. Essays I have to read through. It'll be a nice full day for me, but" her mother continued in a brighter tone, "It's not often your father has time off so perhaps we could do something together later on if you two don't tire each other out too much."

"The beach?" Leona asked.

"Perhaps, but don't get your hopes up just yet. I'll need to finish my work first."

"I understand," she said pleasantly. But her hopes were up nonetheless.

Her mother usually did her work in the den downstairs and following breakfast she did just this. In fact, she _did_ have large stacks of paper with her and Leona cringed at the prospects. She wondered how her mother had the patience. Leona, after breakfast, went out to the courtyard behind the house and began setting up the area. She took out a mat for herself and began her stretching exercises just as he had instructed her to do before. She did this for thirty minutes and then took out the weights. Thirty pounds was the max weight she could handle, but she started out five pounds lighter so that she wouldn't tire herself out too quickly. Then she began her usual arm curls and then after this a couple of other ways to work out her arms with weights, one of them required her to stretch her arm behind her back while holding the dumbbell—it was her favorite. With dumbbells in her clasped hands, she practiced striking forth into the air. She remembered her father kneeling there holding arm pads as she struck them as hard as she could. Somehow she felt as if her punches were like feathers against the large man, but he always encouraged her, he always told her that she was doing well. If she hadn't known her father so well, she would have thought such comments as belittling her. When she had on her greaves and kicked at the pad with all her might, he remained unflinching. She wanted to _surprise_ him one day with her strength.

When she watched her father as he demonstrated what she should do next or remind her what it was she was doing wrong, she felt like a small child being shown something she could never achieve. The air seemed to still for an instant as one of his earthshattering kicks whipped through the air. His purpose wasn't to show off. In fact, he wouldn't even begin to become serious until he was training on his own and she had sat down to watch. He would always slow things down for her benefit when she was training with him and she understood that she had quite a long ways before mastering anything. One day, she wanted to best her father, it was that wish that kept her determined as she struck the air again and again with more and more ferocity. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until her father made himself known. How long had he been there watching?

"I see you've started without me," he said clearly amused. "Your passion is quite impressive. I think you could have continued on for an eternity and not feel the slightest bit tired."

"Oh, sorry. I bet it's nothing you couldn't do better."

"Don't apologize. I remember when I was your age, this was the only thing I looked forward to doing; it was a nice break from all my torturous studies. These days I don't have nearly the same kind of stamina I had in the past."

Had her father just admitted to her being better at something than he? It wasn't much of a surprise, she thought, after a moment. Stamina was one thing, strength was another. She had to wait for her father to warm-up as well before they could actually start the more serious part.

The first thing he wanted to see was how much she had retained from their last lesson. Placing on his arms the same pads from before, she carefully thought about which move she would do first. She started bouncing on her toes, loosening her feet and held her arms up protectively just as her father had taught her. She held up her right leg and steadied her movement as she prepared herself. Then she whipped out her leg like a viper and struck the pad from the side. The impact struck gold and she could clearly see a look of surprise on his face. It made her grin despite herself. She tried for a punch now and she felt the pad vibrate under the impact, her father stumbled back a little from it. Before she could strike again, he told her very quickly to wait a minute. Her smile was broad now.

"You've improved in leaps and bounds," her father said with a smile of his own. "These pads will no longer be sufficient," he said unstrapping them from his arm.

It was then that Leona noticed that she had actually forced some of the cushion out of the pad.

"Oh, are you alright?" Leona asked the other.

"Well, it'll certainly leave a bruise, but you don't have to worry about it. I think it's time we moved up to the dummies."

Eventually, her father had out the dummies she had seen in the shed. She had no idea she'd ever require such a thing for training, but now it seemed she did.

"Alright, show me what else you know," her father encouraged her.

Then she went back to work on the dummies and though her kicks and punches were no longer to be trifled with, the dummies seemed invincible against her strikes. It bothered her a little but she soon got over it as her father congratulated her on how much she now knew. Now she was ready to learn some combinations, he told her. It would require her to put all her knowledge to the test. He showed her the first one slowly and she began on this. Immediately, she found it difficult to think of everything she had to do before doing it. It wasn't just one move at a time, it was three of them at once in succession.

"While thinking is not a bad thing during a fight, sometimes it can hinder you if you second guess yourself. You know these moves like the back of your hand. You've proven that to me. All you have to do is simply let it flow."

But that was easier said than done as she tried to perform the combination of attacks. Something was throwing her off, but she didn't know what.

"Start slow," her father suggested. "You don't have to be fast on your first attempts. You have to allow your body to grow used to the feeling."

Leona took a deep breath and struck upward with her fist, a sideways kick with her right foot, and a spinning kick with left foot. _Slowly…I don't have to do it quickly._ The last move would always throw her off a bit. The momentum from the last move had to flow into her last move to give it sufficient power. Finally at snail pace she was able to move her body through the set of moves and gradually she grew a little faster on each attempt. It was becoming familiar to her.

"Make sure you keep yourself balanced," her father said as she nearly tripped over herself on her attempt to move even faster still.

She slowed down once again. The last thing she wanted to do was twist her ankle as she spun on her toes to pull off the last move. She paused after a while when she felt as if she was getting nowhere. She looked at father then who'd been watching her patiently.

"Could you just…show me what it looks like when it's quicker?" she asked to her father in a tone that was nearly pleading.

"And what purpose would that serve? You know what to do and when you're able to, you'll feel it for yourself."

Leona sighed exasperatedly.

"Take a break, we've been at it for a few hours," her father told her.

He always said such things when it seemed like she was getting frustrated which is why she tried to hide such things from her father. She wanted to continue! Frustrated or not. But her father had given her an order so she simply followed it without argument. She made her way back to the house and stepped through the sliding glass door. Now that she was able to notice, she did feel quite thirsty and—she wiped a hand across her forehead—a bit sweaty. She quickly went into the kitchen to grab herself a glass of cold water and then rushed back to the area right in front of the glass doors. She sat down quietly on the thickly carpeted floor sipping the rejuvenating water and watched her father work.

He had his own exercise regime that he had yet to disclose to her. The dummies were out and it seemed to encourage her father to do things a little differently. His attacks would simply flow, but she noticed something odd as her father continued to pound on the dummies—he never used his hands. Was he saving it for something? Had she hurt his forearm worse than what he was letting on? She thought it was quite odd especially since he adopted the same stance as her. His fists seemed in excess of. It was not that he never used his fists since he had to demonstrate to her, but when he was on his own, they seemed off-limits. She wondered if she should ask why, but after a while of watching she thought better of it. There must have been some practical reason as to why and he had yet to teach her such things.

Eventually, she strolled back outside after he took a breather from his pounding session (one that seemed far more intense than what she was capable of). When she attempted the routine once again, she surprised even herself. It was as if her legs had a mind of their own. In fact, when she felt as if she had sufficiently had it down, she repeated the entire thing a couple more times. She was smiling from ear to ear which drew a smile from her father as well.

"Taking a break every now and then is essential as well," her father said. "Sometimes our minds get too caught up in the details and we hinder ourselves without even knowing it."

"So I should take way more breaks. Got it."

"Well, everyone works differently," he said with a grin, "Whenever you feel the need to stop for a while, do so."

"I see," she said evenly.

Since Leona had finally mastered the first combination of attacks he had showed her, they begin on another and the rest of the day was like this. She was worried she was going to take just as long with the second and third new sets as she had with the first one, but after the third one, she began to learn quicker. The idea of combining moves that she already knew was beginning to make since to her in her mind. The dummies were attacked relentlessly that day. The first half of their training taking up roughly seven hours was as usual far more intensive than the second half in which they took things slow and returned to lifting weights and stretching, but going through what was done before as reiteration. She told her father about plans to go to the beach that day and thought they should save their strength all of which was quite fine with him. As far as outings went, they were far in between for their family, but they still made an effort to have them. It was very rare that she had an entire day to train with her father and that on that same day her mother was available as well.

She felt strangely energetic after they called it quits outside much to her father's amusement. She felt as if she could run a marathon, such was her usual feelings after long high intensity work-out sessions. She was practically bouncing on her feet. They both took their respective showers and Leona being the first one finished went first to check on her mother. To her delight, she found her mother enjoying an old paperback novel sitting on the couch with her legs curled up beneath her.

"So you're done?" Leona asked to her mother.

Her mother looked up with a smile, "Yes I am, in record time. Looks like you're done as well."

Leona was pretty excited about the prospects of the day. The moment was made complete when her father approached them as well with his partially dried hair in an obvious good mood. Between the three of them, there probably wouldn't be anyone jumping up shouting "Family outing time—woot!" None of their personalities lent to such wanton outbursts, but it was indeed what they were all feeling.

/

Leona was joined in the cool ocean water by her parents. She wore a full swimsuit with a pink and white slanted striped design. Her mother wore a similar style of swimsuit, but it was a bright red and there was a miniskirt attached to it as well. Her father wore blue trunks. Not that she got to see him very much—he was always submerging himself underwater and leaping up to scare the living daylights out of her. His antics very easily drew laughter from her usually reserved mother, but they were in rare moods that day.

They had a large beach ball that Leona had managed to blow up all by herself and they bunted it around (with little skill) to the next person. Whenever her father disappeared from his position she almost knew what was coming but he still managed to startle her every time. At the very least, she was rewarded in the end when her father did it to her mother out of the clear blue and Leona had never seen someone so furious and frightened at the same time. Ever since that incident, her mother tried with surprising fervor to bunt the beach ball straight into his face. At some point, she eventually swam over and bounced it fiercely off of his face—it was a very catchable pass. Tiring of the ball passing game, they simply began a splash war with each other. There was no clear objective and it made no sense whatsoever. All Leona knew was that she was having fun and she was laughing more than she had that entire week—so were her parents.

After they tired themselves out, they spent the rest of the time lying on reclined beach chairs in the dying sun.

"That was quite amazing, Raine." her father said to her mother. His head was turned her way.

Leona laid between her two soaking parents.

"What do you mean?" she asked with one eyebrow raised.

"The way you acted out there no one would ever guess that you used to be—

Her mother sighed exasperatedly at him, "_Must_ you bring it up."

"Bring what up?" Leona asked curiously.

"See?" her mother said in irritation. "You tell her the story."

Her father was looking at her now. "Your mother used to be terrified of the water. A tragedy occurred when she was much younger involving water and ever since then, she couldn't stand even to ride in a boat."

"So, what changed?" Leona asked mystified. She glanced over at her mother whose eyes now were trained to the darkening skies.

"You," her father said singularly. This drew a confused look from her. Then he continued. "Remember when you were five and you demanded that I taught you how to fight—you were quite stubborn about it."

"Yeah, I remember. Not my finest moments."

"I told you, you were too young yet in reality it was that age that I began my lessons as well. At the time, I didn't think I was able to. I couldn't bring myself to teaching you properly. It involved fists and I felt I could not use them even to train you. You loved the water when you were younger and whenever I had the chance I would take you to the beach, but your mother would never come along. So around that time when you were five, I asked your mother to accompany us into the water. It took her a long while to finally say 'yes', but there was a condition attached—I had to train you to the utmost of my ability. I don't want to go into full detail, but slowly we began to conquer our fears and misgivings for your benefit. I think without you, there would not have been any motivation whatsoever to change."

Leona let his words sink in. She'd known already, but in that moment she was reminded of just how much her parents loved her. It was inexplicable, it was unconditional, and it was eternal.

"When I watched you out there by yourself…" Leona began slowly as she thought back to when they'd been training before. "You still didn't use them—your fists."

"Well," her father began.

"It's a work in progress," her mother finished for him. "I still haven't learned to swim, but as long as the water is shallow enough, I can handle being in it. But it helps when everyone else is having fun—I don't think as much about it."

"If you'd seen how she was before, you'd be amazed at her progress now," her father said to her. "Today was certainly a good day."

"Yeah," Leona agreed as she turned her head to look at the sky as well. They all were at this point. "I wish we could do it again one day," Leona said distantly.

"I believe it's quite likely that we will," her mother said with confidence that made her smile.

Then she would continue to look forward to it. On days when she felt the loneliest, she would think of times like these when they were all together and completely content.


	3. A New Dress

Chapter 3: A New Dress

Leona was positively ecstatic and she jumped up and down even as her father held her hand firmly with his own large one. She smiled easily from ear to ear as they approached the amusement park. Her father had promised he would bring her there this day and he had kept it. Her mother might have been there as well, but was busy grading papers that had to be done that day. Leona didn't notice how easily they made it through the entrance somehow avoiding all the long lines or that he paid nothing as they went on the first ride—she just knew she was there and going to get to ride them in the first place.

She currently wore her bright pink tennis shoes, bright blue leggings, a pink skirt with large daisies and a plain red cotton shirt with a rounded collar—she looked the part of a six year old child. Her hair was pinned up in a bun that her father had managed to pull off before they had left the house together. Whenever she asked which one they should go to first, he would always tell her that it was completely up to her and that he would be just fine with anything. She chose the biggest ride first, of course, and they promptly went on it without further ado.

The little girl found herself shouting "Daddy, this one!" quite often that day and always resorting to dragging along her comparatively slow moving father—he simply couldn't move fast enough to match her enthusiasm. She went on rides at least ten times before she was satisfied enough to try something new. Leona just knew that she tried the biggest ride countless times. After trying the other rides she would return to the biggest ride over and over again.

It was as if she had a sixth sense as to when she had managed to wear her father out. Perhaps the only clue he would give to it was glancing at his watch which she supposed he hoped she didn't see, but she was quite an observing person even at this age. Yet he encouraged her to do whatever she wanted there for as long as she wanted. She found herself saying "Are you sure, Daddy?" when she thought he was being contrary to what he was truly feeling. "This is your day." he would keep saying to her.

In the end, they left when it became too close to her bedtime. Her mother would be furious if he managed to keep her out for so long once again for the third time, so said her father. It was unmistakably nighttime when they began the walk to the transporter that would take them home, but as she walked she began to feel something strange.

The feeling was warm and odd, it's presence becoming more and more palpable by the second. Something inexplicable was building up inside of her and she felt as if she would faint. The warmth became uncomfortably hot and she finally stopped in her tracks quickly drawing her father's attention.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked her as he brought himself down to her level.

She'd closed her eyes not in pain but because of how inescapable the feeling had become. She simply wanted it all to stop. "I…I don't know…" she groaned pitifully.

Something must have prompted her father to check her forehead which he did at the moment placing the back of his hand onto her heated skin. His hand drew back quickly.

"You're burning up," her father said more than a little startled, "I've never felt anything so warm. Let's get you home quickly so your mother can have a look at you."

She felt too scared to move. She didn't know what, but something was very wrong. Could it be a fever? She'd had such symptoms before, but it had never felt like that. How could she explain this to her father? She found herself in his embrace after a moment, protected and safe.

"It's alright, sweetheart, everything will be fine," her father said softly. She heard the words rumble through his chest.

She realized that she hadn't moved an inch in a long time and that her father was probably trying to get her to do so on her own. He'd have to pick her up, but before he could even attempt to do such a thing, the unthinkable occurred. Leona cried out when it became too much for her to handle and her world grew starkly white, a ringing noise filled her ears.

The oddness was gone, but the whiteness still remained for a moment longer. Then it began to subside gradually. It was like opening her eyes in the morning time except it was from brightness to darkness. The first things she noticed was that her father was no longer there. She looked around frantically now only to find him thrown back quite a bit. They'd been next to the railings of the large bridge they'd been traversing on and he had been knocked into the metal bars of the railing.

Instinctively, she ran over to her father who appeared to not be moving at all. She saw it as clear as day, blood and lots of it covering his chest and downward, his clothes impossibly charred. It was as if someone had come and peeled away his skin with a searing hot knife. Her father was unconscious and unresponsive as she cried out his name. She couldn't understand, it was impossible to understand. What in the world happened? If it hadn't been for the security guard who'd rushed in to see what the commotion was when he was close enough on his route, Leona had no idea what would have become of them.

The security guard didn't ask any questions on his part when he first arrived. He promptly called the ambulance. When help was firmly on its way, the guard tried to reassure the hysterical child with marginal success, but she still breathed hard and stared at her father with haunted eyes. That was until he started to make movement on his own. He tried to sit up, but he soon abandoned the endeavor when he found it beyond him. His eyebrows were furrowed in obvious pain when he gestured Leona closer to his side. He seemed to instinctively know where Leona was as he looked at her.

"I'll be fine," he said though his voice sounded strained.

"But how can you—

"I'll be fine," he repeated firmly to her. Tears immediately sprung to her eyes. "This isn't your fault, sweetheart. It seems you have…some of your mother's talents."

Before she could ask him what that meant, the flying vehicle pulled up to their positon and two strong men carrying a stretcher.

"Make sure you call your mother, alright?"

Leona nodded as the two men came and she had to stand out of the way as they moved him onto the stretcher and moved back to the vehicle. She followed her father onto the currently parked vehicle and climbed into the back of it along with the two men.

"He's lost a lot of blood," one of the men said and Leona bit her tongue.

She watched him slowly lose consciousness again as his eyes fluttered and then closed.

"Let's go, let's go!" the other shouted when they were all situated into the relatively small back area of the flying vehicle, but it was much larger than the Rhieard that her parents owned. It didn't exactly close, there was simply a place to sit and a small door that separated them from the outside—more like a flying pick-up truck. There were few medical supplies on the vehicle, but there were at least bandages and they began to wrap him up quickly to stop the bleeding.

"Daddy?" Leona choked, tears streaming down freely now.

She watched the men do their work as she quietly sat in distress watching for any changes in her father. When they seemed to be done with their work, she spoke again.

"Can I call Mommy?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am, we'll use the communicator in the hospital," one of them said to her much to her relief.

They didn't have far to go and eventually they were carrying him out and she was following. Someone held her back, but she struggled against their grasp as her father who had been transferred to a bed was rolled through two swinging doors.

"Didn't you want to call someone?" a comforting woman's voice said.

Leona looked back and nodded not knowing how the woman knew and she was taken to a room with large computers. The equipment looked quite sophisticated.

"Does your mother work somewhere important?" the woman said calmly.

"She works at school as a teacher."

"Oh, but the schools are closed now. What about home, is she there?"

Leona nodded vigorously.

"Do you know the sequence of numbers for your home?"

Leona nodded again. It was a five digit code that her parents had told her to memorize and she soon disclosed it the woman who then tapped it onto the small keyboard in front of them—it was much too high for her to see properly. Suddenly, the screen sprang to life and her mother's face was shown immediately.

"Oh, baby, I've been so _worried_ about you! What's wrong? Why haven't you gotten home yet?"

"Daddy's been hurt really badly," Leona said trying to fight tears once again. "And these guys took us to a hospital!"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"Daddy said the same thing!" Leona shouted. "You're both lying!"

"Leona, you will calm down," her mother said in a commanding voice. "I will be there as soon as I can, alright?" Her mother was no longer looking at her but at the woman who stood to the side. "And could you look after her for the time being?"

"Of course, ma'am. I'll make sure Lady Leona is well taken care of."

"Thank you," her mother said with relief.

And with that the connection was ended. Leona could only assume that her mother was now on her way. The woman led her out of the warm, humming room and then led her to what looked like the waiting area. Two large windows faced the amusement park she had just been to and she walked over to it to gaze at the well-lit park. Even at night it was beautiful.

"How are you feeling?" the woman said placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

Leona turned to look at her. "They both said Daddy will be fine—so he'll be fine," and that was all she said before looking back at the scenic view.

She leaned on the ample windowsill, it was just the right height for her to lie her head on. Then she waited for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, her mother did come and they waited for only a few moments before they were admitted in.

Her eyes were immediately on the bed when she walked into the room. A strange plastic mask had been placed over his face. It grew cloudy and clear at a constant basis and Leona guessed that it was there for breathing purposes. When her mother pulled the blankets back, Leona saw that his bandages had been changed as there was no stain of blood to be seen.

At the time, Leona believed her mother to be far too calm as she looked him over. She grew mystified as she placed her hand over him hovering a few inches from his body and then closed her eyes in apparent concentration.

"Revitalize," she heard her mother say after a moment.

A brilliant light surrounded her father for a brief second and then it was gone. Leona wondered immediately what had happened. Her mother took off the plastic mask and gazed down at him intently.

"What's wrong, Regal, why won't you wake up?" her mother said softly.

Her mother looked around for something and finally removed a washcloth from a drawer. Momentarily, she disappeared into the nearby bathroom. Leona took this time to step closer to her father. He was sweating now profusely, his hair tousled. It was as if he was seeing something he disliked immensely but with closed eyes. Leona's brow creased in confusion. Whatever it was, it seemed discomforting and she immediately felt guilty.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she said in her small voice.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," her mother's voice said as she stepped out of the bathroom with a now wet rag.

Leona begged to differ. It wasn't as if her mother knew what had happened. In fact, her mother hadn't so much as asked her at this point. She watched as her mother wiped the sweat from his brow and about his face slowly.

"It's alright, Regal, it's just a dream. I'm here now," she was bent down close to him speaking in his ear.

"Mommy, what's wrong with him?" Leona asked shakily.

"Nothing serious," her mother returned. "It's just a bit odd is all. For as long as I've known him, he's never had a bad dream before."

She continued to wipe his sweating brow and he eventually did awake much to their relief.

"Raine?" he asked. His voice sounded dry and crackly.

She only smiled at him. "Welcome back."

And he was looking for Leona as well who stepped a little closer so that he could see her. She smiled as well. It was enough to see his kind eyes once again looking at her. He wasn't angry at all she could tell.

"Come here," he told her.

She followed his command and then as he asked her to climb atop the bed so that he could have better access to her. Then she knew a split second before it happened that he would hug her. That was all the reassurance she needed as she felt his warmth and his beating heart.

"I told you I would be fine," her father said as they separated and she was able to look up at him.

"I know," she said a smile drawn clearly across her face.

"Now," her mother said after a moment. "Tell me what happened." She'd been addressing her father.

"She seems to have your gifts," her father said to her. "That was light magic, pure and searing. I've felt something like that before, but I was stronger in the past."

Realization came to her mother's eyes. "Yes, we were. Your wounds were quite grievous from an attack that probably would have been child's play to take head on. Exspheres truly did give us strength." Her mother looked at her then. "I'll have to start training you then in the use of magic and how to manage it, but for now, let's all go home."

It took Leona a moment to learn that her father was completely healed and that he no longer needed the bandages. She was quite amazed by this and asked her mother if she'd be able to do the same. "Only time will tell," her mother told her calmly.

Even on their way home, Leona began to ask her mother a million and one questions, but her mother was quite evasive and both parents seemed to be in agreement that it was a discussion best saved for tomorrow. She could tell they were both weary and she was reminded that she indeed had forgotten about dinner altogether.

That was the day when she had first showed signs of magic and the very next day her mother took time out to train her in earnest even as her father trained her physically. It was weeks before she asked her mother if her father really was alright and just as she expected, her mother did not sugarcoat things. She'd healed him so he was fine physically, but he'd been plagued by nightmares for a few days before it tapering out. It wasn't that she had traumatized him, it was, her mother discovered, a rare effect that few magic users had the ability to use in which even if one was to survive the attack, they would be forced to also weather through nightmares. For how long?—that simply depended on the person. For someone like her father, not very long since it was unusual for him the first place. "He'll recover," her mother reassured her.

Still she felt horrible and a growing sense of dread for her own power.

* * *

Leona woke up with a start and was confronted with the harsh rays of the sun. She'd forgotten to close her curtains. After yesterday's activities at the beach with her parents, she'd been more tired out than she'd known and fallen straight to sleep upon laying down on her bed. She groaned in displeasure. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so late into the morning. After washing herself and climbing downstairs she realized she was all by herself once again at the house.

She looked into the kitchen and saw some food from breakfast her parents must have eaten together. Wordlessly, she made a plate for herself and sat down in the dining room contently eating the lukewarm food. She must have just missed them before they had left. She understood her father leaving for work, but she wondered what her mother could be doing since it was the weekend.

On the weekends, there weren't many activities that she partook in. She stayed at home with her mother and either lazed around the house with her or decided on something a little more extraneous to do. Today she would be doing the latter. After yesterday's training session with her father, she felt she had reached a new plateau with her power. With the ample time that she had, she went out to the courtyard once again pulling out the equipment including a dummy. She began as she had yesterday with her stretches and then with the weights which she decided to increase. Before she knew it, hours had gone by. It was her mother who interrupted her.

"At it again?" her mother asked clearly amused. "If only you showed the same dedication with your magic."

It wasn't that she wasn't proficient at the use of magic, it was that her mother thought she could be better. But magic required constant concentration and it wasn't physical at all. Not only that but she seemed to have no talent for healing magic. All she seemed capable of were light elemental attacks and it distressed her. If she was going to learn how to harm others, then she didn't want it to be in as devastating a way as magic clearly could be. She remembered what she'd done to her father vividly even more so now that she was older and understood more.

"Did you want something?" Leona asked her mother coolly.

"Well, your birthday is coming up soon," her mother began and immediately Leona's mood dropped. "We still need to pick out a dress for you and I want you completely involved in the decision of which one."

"I already have a lot of dresses, Mom. Couldn't I just use one of those?"

"You could, but this day is supposed to be special. Pick something that really speaks to you. It's very important."

Leona sighed heavily. "Alright…" She was just going to be in her manor and only a few strangers would see her in it for all of a few hours.

Leona had to put all her training gear up once again and then take a shower before going out with her mother. The day wasn't a complete bust, she supposed. She would get to spend time with her mother which she always enjoyed. Her mother treated her as her equal and hardly ever sugarcoated her words. It was always interesting to see just how different her parents truly were. Kindness wasn't something she wore on her sleeves or one could see clearly in her eyes like her father, it was simply a fact that she cared about her and everything she did for her was out of love and kindness. Her mother was sarcastic and quick-witted. Leona felt as if she could tell her mother anything and she would understand immediately. Yet there were times when she could be extremely motherly especially if she was hurt in anyway and Leona would be reminded that she was, in fact, her mother.

They went to a specialty store called Sandra's Boutique and they took their time looking around. Leona couldn't quite decide if she was a tomboy or not, but when it came to shopping for clothes especially dresses she found herself immensely interested. She was attracted to beautiful things. She knew she could blow an entire afternoon in places such as these. Her mother, on the other hand, was interested in so much as what was practical. Then again, she had always been a practical woman. She made no suggestions this time as she usually did to carry things along. Instead, she was surprisingly patient taking a page out of her father's book.

Then all at once Leona found it, a mostly red with black accents Lolitta-esque dress that seemed both daring and beautiful. This was it. This would be perfect and she called her mother over so that she could see.

"Oh, that's beautiful, honey. I like the two red bows in the front here," her mother said approvingly.

The thick material dress was sleeveless as well with black ruffles on the shoulders. The bottom part of the dress spread out in three black ruffle-rimmed tiers. There was a simplicity about it that called to her. She tried it on first and when she stepped out of the dressing room, her mother's astonished reaction was all she needed to confirm her suspicions. This one would do.


	4. Extravaganza-Part 1

AN: Thank you for all those who have reviewed; I'm always paying attention to those.

Keko-the-Hybrid: Thank you for that. For a moment, I was wondering if I should continue or not, but as long as there are people willing to read, I'm willing to write it. I was quite fond of writing the outing that Leona has with her parents. I'm not the best at writing about Regal and Raine, but I do enjoy doing it. Oh, and thanks for pointing out the wall of text in the first chapter, I changed that quickly. That was such a rookie mistake! As a reader myself, walls of texts can be annoying to read. I'll have to keep a sharper eye.

Romina78: Thank you for your honesty. I've been worried about keeping everyone in character. Any suggestion you can give is helpful. Let me know where it sounded awkward, I'll probably change it in the future.

Selene: Well, thanks for reading. Give it a chance, you might like it! Also, I'd suggest reading other RaineXRegal stories before this one. I won't be going into any details about how and why they fell in love, it is simply a fact in this story. The couples in this story have been together for years now and have had children...

* * *

Chapter 4: Extravaganza-Part 1

She'd been woken up quite early that day by none other than her father—a rare event in itself, but he had gone to bed noticeably early yesterday. He looked to be already halfway dressed. Groggily she told him that she would be downstairs and ready in thirty minutes and he left her to herself after closing the door behind him.

She knew it was her birthday, but she'd never been woken up this early for it. Was this birthday really that special? She took her shower, dried herself off and commenced to pulling out her dress and everything else she would wear with it. Notable additions were her black stockings and black and red short boots she'd owned already. Her boots had three small golden buckles that were there for show since they weren't detachable. They clicked on hard floors as if she was wearing high heels and they fit her small feet comfortably. She avoided high heels like the plague, she already deemed herself too tall as she was, especially since she was as tall as her mother at this point.

She put on her make-up as well, a dusting of powder, a bit of foundation, some eyeliner to bring out her eyes and blue-green eyeshadow to further do so, then she finished with natural-colored lipstick with a glossy finish. She put on earrings with red hanging rubies and a necklace her father had given her last year for her birthday, a gold Bryant family insignia hanging from it. It had been the first time she'd even seen such a thing—it wasn't an insignia that was plastered everywhere throughout the manor or anywhere at all for that manner, but it was an heirloom passed down to the firstborn at twelve. The gold insignia had hung from a thick chain, but he'd changed it to something more feminine. It was a sigil of intricate design inside of a circle which meant, her father had told her, "to seize power". As a last touch she slipped on her black and red lace fingerless gloves. Her nails were painted the same shade of blue as her hair—she'd done them herself last night and she thought they looked beautiful.

She trudged downstairs and was greeted by her mother who looked only halfway finished with her outfit as well. She began to grow a bit suspicious, but she didn't know what any of it meant. She was informed that she'd be going to the hair salon with her mother. She was a bit confused by this as she'd never done as much for her birthday before.

"Oh, don't worry about it, honey. It's just a formality and between the two of us, we probably couldn't pull off anything too extravagant with your hair," her mother said with a smile.

Her mother did little more than brush her hair, but anything else stylistic with her hair was purely natural and unintentional. Her ends always curled outward on their own. Her father knew how to do a bit more such as braiding and all sorts of different ponytails that could be quite elegant, but anything else besides was beyond him. She _had_ thought briefly about putting curls into her hair…

"But what are you going to be doing, Dad?" Leona asked in her confusion.

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I'll be decorating."

"All by yourself?" Leona asked, "I want to help too."

"With that dress on?" her father said back.

She looked down at her dress and realized it was a bit constricting and would likely get in the way with its poufy bottom.

"But—

"Don't worry about it," her mother said interrupting her. "Alright, let's go."

"I haven't even eaten anything yet," she said in her realization.

"You'll have time for that later," her father said to her questioning look.

She saw her parents pass a look between them and Leona knew she was being kept in the dark about something. Her mother very nearly dragged her out of the house, but soon enough they were on their way as she rode with her mother on the Rheaird.

Her parents were in an undeniably good mood and Leona thought she at least knew the reason to this—they'd be meeting their friends once again. She understood that they were quite close to their friends as if they were a second family. Her parents had talked about them at length at dinner yesterday and she was ultimately unable to add anything to the conversation. As many times as she'd met them, she hadn't taken the time to remember their faces or personalities. They were complete strangers as far as she was concerned.

At the salon, she was given a book filled with photos of hairstyles to look at and then she finally decided on one she liked—it was nicknamed the curly twirly. Leona found them to be beautiful and natural looking curls, spiral and full volume. She wanted her curly hair to be tied up in the back in a high ponytail with a red ribbon. She spent hours there at the salon and she began to understand why they had started so early in the day. Her hairstylist was all smiles and complimented her more than once on her silky hair and its length—it would be perfect for the kind of curls she wanted.

When she was done, Leona stood in front of a mirror and barely recognized herself. Was that beautiful woman staring back at her truly what she looked like? She was speechless, but her mother helped her and gave the hairstylist her thanks.

"You can freshen up your make-up when we get home again."

In hindsight, Leona probably would not put on her full make-up before going to the hairstylist, but her parents had been so closemouthed about everything so far. Despite everything even she began to feel a bit excited about the day's activities despite being forced to meet so many people. For now, she was simply with her mother who she chatted with casually (failing with getting any real information as to what would happen today out of her).

The first thing she noticed when she stepped inside was the absence of her father and the fact that the house was painfully lacking in decorations—there were none at all. Again she was looking at her mother for a plausible explanation.

"Oh, he probably forgot something and went out to get it. It won't be until later anyway—we still have time."

"So I don't need to put on my make-up again until later," Leona said stubbornly.

"Well, I have a surprise for you," her mother said, it was her first admission to anything out of the ordinary. "Wait for me as I get ready."

Leona couldn't squelch her sense of glee as her mother said this. What exactly was she planning to show her? She went upstairs and reapplied her make-up and then, in an instant, returned downstairs to wait for her mother. Her mother eventually came and she wore a simple blue dress that was somehow sophisticated in its own way. The sleeves were long and sheer and the dress itself flowed down to just past her ankles where blue felt short boots peeked out. It made her white hair appear even more vibrant than usual. She used a headband that wrapped around her head adorned with black roses that pushed back soft white hair. A few tendrils of hair touched her forehead. A few pieces of her hair had been braided likely by her father last night and it gave her long hanging hair a bit more pizazz. She also wore a small white silk purse which likely only had keys, money, and identification. Her mother looked lovely.

They headed out once again. It was worth noting at that moment that the weather was perfect that day. The skies were clear and the sun was bright. The temperature was not too hot and not too cold. She could wear her outfit without having to put on a jacket. It worked wonders on her mood. In that moment, she did begin to feel special if only a little. Today she was thirteen, a young teenager.

Her eyes grew big as their Rheaird began to slow down in front of a large building that had notable, grand white columns in the front. It was the ballroom, the one where important people would have huge parties and invite countless people who they could not possibly know. Her mother was taking her _there_? They were climbing up large steps and she kept looking at her mother incredulously.

"What in the world?" Leona said aloud, but her mother would say nothing.

She was a few steps in front of her and opened the large double doors that led into the main room. Just like that, she could hear the music. It wasn't anything too loud or raucous at this point, but there was a live orchestral band there playing light music. There were people already there sparsely populated, but there nonetheless and already she had no idea who they were. She did know that they were high-class judging from their clothes. Now her mother turned to her.

"Your father and I have been planning this for a while now. We'd planned initially do something smaller, but word got around about this and people were _begging_ to be invited."

"But…I don't _know_ anyone," Leona argued.

Her mother smiled, "You will in time. It's an all-day affair so you don't have to rush anything nor do you have to get to know everyone."

Leona looked away. "Where's Dad?"

"Making the guests feel comfortable. Let's go see him."

At least they could do that, Leona thought, as they walked through the large, grand room. Was this place supposedly going to be filled with people? It rather frightened her. She couldn't understand why her parents had insisted on such a thing—it was unlike them. They were private people who kept to themselves for the most part. This should have been out of their comfort zone, but they seemed at ease. She wished she could say the same about herself.

The place was well decorated and she knew that her parents probably had not put it up themselves at all. Nothing about it screamed birthday, it was more like a dance that she'd come too early to, but it was all tastefully done. They found her father there in the back room and she was taken aback by his appearance—he looked more dashing than usual, but she couldn't tell what he had done differently. Maybe it was the way the lights fell on him or his pleasant smile which she'd seen a thousand times before. No, that couldn't be it. His tux was almost overly elaborate. His hair was pulled back and tied into its usual low ponytail—the bow he somehow was always able to tie on was white instead of blue…maybe that was it. Whatever the reason, he looked absolutely splendid, but she remembered that she didn't look herself either—she was that woman she'd seen in the mirror. Her father complimented them both upon seeing them. She knew he would do so, but it was embarrassing all the same.

"One of Lloyd's boys is already here," her father said to them both, but mostly to her mother.

"Lucas?" her mother asked.

"I guess you were right," her father said back to her.

He was a middle child, her mother explained to the perplexed Leona of the three sons that Lloyd had with his wife Colette, but there were also two daughters as well. Leona was surprised at just how many children there were. She sighed at the prospects. Was she expected to make an effort to know every single one of them?

"Where is he now?" her mother questioned him.

"Probably near where the band is playing. You know how much he loves music on account of his older brother."

_Older brother?_ Leona thought. It made little difference to her who this Lucas was or what his interests were and especially the reason why that was so.

Her mother smiled at this. "Well, why don't you go and introduce yourself to him," she said to a slightly annoyed Leona.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think I did that before," Leona said crossing her arms.

"It's been a while," her mother said with a shrug. "Go and mingle."

She wanted to stay with her parents, but it seemed as if they no longer wanted her nearby. It saddened her a bit. Were they simply tired of her being around? But she chided herself at even beginning to think such a thing. But still…She wasn't used to the amount of freedom her parents seemed to be giving her. Most days she wasn't allowed out of either of their sights whenever she played outside and she was to remain in the house at all times if she came back from school and neither parent happened to be there (although her mother usually was).

This was her birthday, but this was beginning to feel like the worst one she'd ever experienced. With a sigh, she turned from her parents and moved towards the open door that led into the larger room. On closer inspection, she realized that there in fact were two stages. A smaller one off to the side in which the current band was playing and one grand stage that sat in the front empty and darkened. She could make out decorations there as well—draping gold ribbons strewn on each wall and gold and black helium balloons.

She realized that she hardly knew what this boy looked like and she couldn't remember his age—probably somewhere close to hers. As she walked through the crowd, she felt completely self-conscious. She was by herself and she felt as if everyone was looking at her. A permanent light blush came across her cheeks, but it was camouflaged by her make-up blush thankfully.

She thought she found him when she noticed a boy much younger than the adults nearby casually watching the band play. His hair was starkly blonde—almost as if it had been bleached and he wore a black tux, he already held the jacket in his arms with hands placed in his pockets. His hair was spikey as well and Leona wondered how much gel he must have used to obtain such a style. His undershirt was blue. Overall, his outfit of choice was forgettable as countless others had chosen something similar. He was a little shorter than her and his stance was a bit slouchy. All she could see was the back of his head as she slowly approached. What was she going to say? Hi? Hello, whatchamacallit? She decided she would simply tap him on his shoulder—a fairly intimate thing that she'd seen other people do to the others from afar, but it got the job done and she did not have to recall his name to get his attention. She hesitated when she was just close enough and then tapped his left shoulder quickly.

He turned to look at her a little startled, but his puzzled expression turned into surprise when he saw her.

"Today must be my lucky day," the boy said. "And who might you be, beautiful?"

She felt her cheeks reddening even more. His eyes were a dark blue and they appeared full of curiosity. Eventually her eyebrows furrowed at his response. "Don't you know who I am?"

The boy looked at her a little closer. "Ah, I remember now," his voice sounded a bit deflated. "It's the ice princess. Interesting birthday party your parents are throwing for you."

"Well, it wasn't _my_ idea. They did all this behind my back."

"And you're upset about it?" he asked with a hint of ridicule.

"Not upset just…"

"Tell me, princess—

"I'm not a _princess_."

The boy grinned at her mischievously. Then she very nearly smacked herself, she'd just given him fuel to continue to annoy her with.

"Tell me, your highness, you wouldn't happen to know the name of a poor old plebeian like me, would you?"

"You're Lucas, right?" Leona said thankful that her parents had mentioned his name and that she'd actually been listening. "And you have an older brother and a younger one. Then two sisters." She was quite satisfied with the other's momentary speechlessness.

"Well, well, that definitely deserves a round of applause. I'd be more impressed if it wasn't so likely someone had just supplied you with all of that information a few moments before."

Now it was Leona's turn to be speechless for a moment. "Th-that's not true! I knew you from before."

"How is that even possible? The only thing you seem good at is ignoring people—and you're _really_ good at it."

Somehow Leona must have rubbed him the wrong way but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. Maybe it was the obvious reason; she hadn't attempted to talk to him any time before.

"Did your parents put you up to this?" Lucas said in criticizing tones.

Leona perched her lips. "No."

"Right," he said shaking his head.

"Look, I'm sorry for whatever I did before. I'm introducing myself to you now because I've decided to turn a new leaf," she said to him. It was only a half-truth, but it would do for now.

"Oh, is _that_ right," he said with another grin. "Well, good job, you've introduced yourself, you're well on your way to becoming slightly less stuck up."

Leona was shocked by his frankness. "_Sorry_ for not liking everyone I see."

"Aaand you have a long ways to go."

"You know this is _my_ birthday party. I'm the one you're supposed to be treating nicely." She only received a "humph" from him. "And I can have you kicked out if I wanted."

"I doubt anyone would take kindly to kicking out one of the great, selfless Lloyd's offspring."

Leona only stared at him not understanding what he was saying.

"Nevermind," he said with an exasperated sigh, "It's not important. Let's just say it wouldn't make for a good birthday party to kick out your guests."

"Lloyd," Leona said slowly, "I've heard that name before…"

"You probably have. He's in history books and I'm sure you must have been told the story of how two separate worlds were reunified."

"Yes," she said realization coming to her. "Lloyd Irving! I know him."

"No, I _know_ him. You've just heard of him somewhere in a textbook. They make him sound like a saint—not that he's not. Anyways, he's an idiot so is my mother."

"Wait a minute," she said with surprise, "You're _that guy's_, son?"

"Well, of course, Lucas Irving at your service," he said flashing a smile full of endearing self-confidence.

"But you called him—your father—an idiot."

"He is. The rest of my brothers and sisters have different levels of idiocy as well. As for me, I thankfully dodged a crippling genetic bullet."

"That's yet to be determined."

"I had no idea I needed _your_ recommendation. I suppose I'll be on my best behavior then."

Leona almost found herself rolling her eyes despite not ever doing such things before. He'd turned to look at her, but now he was looking at the playing band as he had before—he must have found more interest there at that point, not that she blamed him. She was getting tired of finding the right words to say to him anyways. She followed his example and stood beside him watching the once orchestral band. Now the music sounded more like jazz. She heard it, but she certainly was not as into it as her new acquaintance whose eyes seemed mesmerized. It was as if he were in some other world.

"So, it must be true what they say about you," Leona said marveling at the other.

"Huh?" he replied barely paying her much attention.

"The fact that you love music on account of your older brother," Leona responded almost saying what her father had said verbatim.

This drew his attention as he glanced at her. "And who told you that?"

"Umm…people," Leona said with a shrug.

Lucas laughed almost fitfully and it caught her off guard. She completely missed the joke and waited for him to calm himself.

"What _people_, Altamiran Princess? I had no idea I was so _renowned_ here. Or could it be that you often make great strides in visiting my neck of the woods?"

"Alright," Leona said exasperatedly. "I get your point. But it's true, right?"

"Speaking of being the talk of the town, that would be my brother, Linus."

"Is he famous?" Leona asked with surprise.

"You could say that. At this point I think I'll stop expressing my surprise at how much you _don't_ know. It's starting to give me a headache. Anyways, Linus, he's always been into music—and he's always been easy to look up to. You just have to meet him; it's hard for me to explain it well. I bet he can even make someone like you smile."

"So…I've never met him before?"

"Funny thing is he's always managed to miss those annual birthday parties of yours. Nothing against you—it's just something always came up or extenuating circumstances. He'll be at this one, though, that's for sure."

"Oh? And what makes you so certain?"

"You'll see," he said mysteriously.

Leona didn't get it, but she decided not to press for answers. Besides, she wasn't all that interested in the first place.

"They're really pulling out all the stops on this one," Lucas said. He was referring to the current selection of music being played.

"Do you know this band?" Leona asked.

"Never heard of them in my life. Must be local, but that definitely doesn't take away from their obvious skills. Listen."

Leona turned to the stage once again and listened for a few moments. "It's okay. It sounds a bit like racket," she concluded.

"Racket?" Lucas replied flabbergasted. "Close your eyes for a moment."

Leona gave the other an annoyed look.

"Just do it, alright."

"Fine," she said crossing her arms. She closed her eyes despite herself. It wasn't as if she trusted this newfound acquaintance, he could be doing something completely obnoxious unbeknownst to her because of her closed eyes.

"There's a steady tempo," he began, "The drums are the beating heart. Listen to it carefully. Ignore everything else for now."

It took her a moment, but she heard what she assumed were drums. There was a complex rhythm that changed slightly every once in a while, but it eventually repeated itself. It was, in fact, constant and steady. She subconsciously began nodding her head to it.

"Then there's the saxophone. That's the one singing to you, it's desperately trying to tell you something without the use of words. Its voice conveys the most emotion to you."

"I can hear it," Leona said momentarily.

"It has to follow the set tempo, but beyond that, the saxophone can do whatever it pleases. Now there's the piano, the backup singer in this case. It's a free spirit as well held back only by the tempo. Its goal is to compliment the saxophone, enhance its message."

"Yeah," she said agreeing with him, "I suppose I can see that—I mean _hear_ that."

"And all of that is happening simultaneously. If you listen closely, you can hear the bass player as well. Sometimes even a chime."

"That helps…it sounds less like racket."

"It _isn't_ racket," Lucas said back curtly.

Leona opened her eyes and looked at him. "Well, maybe you have a better ear for music."

"I think that fact is painfully obvious."

Leona frowned at the other. "Must you always be so rude?"

"That's ironic coming from the ice princess."

"Not that again," Leona said exasperatedly.

The music that had been playing came slowly to a close and the crowd that had formed around the stage began to disperse. Leona wondered what she would do next. Oh, what she wouldn't give for a nice book and a warm bed right about now. There was no awkwardness she had to deal with and best of all no _people_.

"I'm bored. Want to go exploring the city?" Lucas said at once to her.

"Um…well…"

"Don't tell me you want to stay here all day."

"No, not really. It's just…I don't know if I'm allowed to leave."

Lucas raised one eyebrow. "Did someone say you couldn't?"

"No…"

"Then there's your answer. C'mon, I want to go outside. Nothing special will happen here for hours."

"And you know that for a fact?"

Lucas shrugged and Leona slowly shook her head.

"And what about the other people that's supposed to come. I'm the birthday girl, but I won't be at my own party."

"We won't be gone forever," he said with a sigh. "Besides if you're talking about the twins and the rest of my brother and sisters, they probably won't be here for a while."

She hadn't been. Instead she'd been looking for some excuse to simply stay there. Something told her that even if she asked her parents if it was okay, they'd be fine with it. Already, they were nowhere to be seen. Seemed like they were desperately trying to give her freedom to do whatever she pleased.

"But why are you here so early?"

Lucas seemed to get a bit defensive when she asked. "What does it matter to you?"

"Oh," she said surprised. "I was just asking. It's not a big deal. Look, I'll show you around the city and then we come back here in a few hours, alright? How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a plan, princess."

This time she really did roll her eyes, but moved in front of him before he could see it. She was glad she'd decided not to wear heels. They weren't ideal for exploring and something told her that she would be doing a lot of it that day. She looked towards the big clock on the far wall of the room they occupied with roman numerals. It was barely even ten o'clock in the morning. Today was going to be a long one…


	5. Extravaganza-Part 2

AN: Now to briefly respond to my wonderful reviewers!

Romina78: Yeah, Lucas has some Zelos qualities, but he can be a bit dorky at times. I'll probably give Lucas even more memorable lines since he's the sarcastic one in this story. That nightmare side-effect was something I added randomly. Sounded cool (and plausible) at the time and it adds angst to the story. Light and dark aren't inherently good and evil as we saw with Tenebrae and with Mithos. The move she did at the park doesn't have a name, she was just discovering her power and it went out of control. But I can definitely see her doing that in the future. Thank you for all the food for thought! It's given me some cool ideas to add in the future.

Keko-the-Hybrid: Don't worry, everyone will make an appearance from the old party in the not-too-distant future (like next chapter). Thank you about Leona. For some reason, I always find myself writing older male characters, this is my first time going outside the box and it's kinda fun! As for the details about clothing, I completely understand your point. I've actually lessened the details in this chapter. I'd gotten complaints before from people who said I don't describe quite enough, but I suppose there's a balance there. Anyways, I hope this chapter is more to your liking. It's certainly much easier for me not to be as thorough with that. I have a lot of characters to introduce. And thank you for the review! Always looking to improve as a writer.

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Chapter 5: Extravaganza-Part 2

It was as if Lucas had never seen a city before. The tall buildings, public transportation, the amount of people that always seemed to be around and, of course, the resort. As soon as she said that there existed an amusement park (which he admittedly knew about already), she knew it would be a place that they actually visited. She wasn't in the mood for going on rides, however. She had on her dress and she did not want to be forced to sit in small seats squishing in the material. "But we can just _see_ it, at least, right?" Lucas had asked. It was as if she was babysitting an obnoxious child. Finally, she gave in. Others might have described her as cold, but she could not bear to deny someone something they were clearly interested in if it didn't cost her much to do it. Besides, a content Lucas was far easier to deal with than a discontent one.

She herself would probably not have fun "sightseeing" as he had called it, but watching his reaction to everything was mildly entertaining. He'd seemed so haughty before now he was…less so. Especially now that they were going to the one place Leona suspected he had wanted to go to from the outset.

She remembered the wide bridge they had to cross to go to the place. The very same one where she had nearly killed her father. Every time she crossed it which wasn't nearly as much as when she was younger, she was reminded of that time even more so if she was crossing it with her father. She wondered if Lucas noticed her mood change. He made no comment at first. She did put up a valiant effort to disguise it.

She could see the largest ride the clearest in the distance as they approached the park.

"You know," Lucas said glancing back since he walked a few paces in front of her, "We don't have to go if you're feeling that badly about your dress."

She'd been looking to the ground, but she looked up as he spoke. "It's not the dress. Let's just get this over with."

"Alright," he said holding the word out a little longer for emphasis. "Don't say I didn't give you a way out."

That was when the bridge began trembling and they both stopped in their tracks. They were the only ones on the bridge at that time. The mornings were slow for the amusement park. Something immediately caught her peripherals as a thin strip of black appeared on the railings near them. She determined it to be some kind of leg or hand as another one appeared and began to pull up a much larger body equally as inky black. The two of them began to back up as the insect like creature climbed over the side, its two pinchers clicking in the front. Then there was a second one. They appeared to be moving towards them. She looked to Lucas hoping that somehow he could make sense out of the situation. He pulled something out of his inside jacket pocket and it glinted in the sunlight; a small dagger.

"What are you doing?" Leona asked Lucas whose attention was on the two creatures before them. "Do you even know what these things are? Should we be attacking them?"

"I think it's pretty obvious that we need to take care of them."

"But—

"Can you fight?" he asked cutting across her.

"Yes…"

"Then back me up."

Leona couldn't believe what was happening even as it was occurring right before her eyes. She felt as if she was a passerby simply observing the scene. His dagger became a proper sword as he whipped his arm outward and he advanced towards the creature without further ado. He struck forth confidently and made the first creature fall back, he did the same with the second one as well. He was really doing it—he was _attacking_ them and it did seem to be effective. What could she do with her dress on? She was ill-prepared for physical combat.

He was making headway with the first creature he had started on. There was a slashing move he had done thrice with his sword—Demon Fang—and the first creature seemed exceptionally wounded and for a moment stunned. Lucas ducked under the claws of the second creature and continued to evade attacks before he could find good footing once again and struck forth with yet another Demon Fang. He'd gotten so close to the second one that he decided on a different move that proved far more effective—Sonic Thrust. She only knew these names because he would say them before he actually executed the attacks. The broad sword cut deep into the creature's head and it wailed in obvious pain. It started flailing wildly and the first creature was moving once again. Lucas was forced on the defensive again. He had to dive out of the way when the first one spat out a stream of slimy, green liquid. He was very nearly a sitting duck as he scrambled back to his feet to dodge a downward claw strike from the second creature. She had to do something. She watched as he parried a few of the now frantic attacks from the creatures and he was still pushed back a few inches; she could tell it was difficult for him to hold his stance from his discontent grunts. Now he was striking out whenever he had the chance and she felt that he was becoming a bit desperate.

"Stand back!" Leona finally shouted.

She wanted him well out of the way before she attempted one of her light-based magic attacks. She saw him moving back quickly and she began on her move. She closed her eyes and ignored the outside environment. She gathered her energy all in one spot and raised one arm up when she had enough of it in one place.

"Lightning Rod!" she cried out.

One strike of lightning came down suddenly from the sky and struck both of the creatures at once as they were so close together and the ground shook with a violent rumble. She had some trouble keeping her balance, but she was successful in the end. The creatures seemed to be completely unmoving now and split in two—they were dead. _Martel_. Was that the result of her one attack?

"Maybe you should have started out with that," Lucas said first looking at the carnage and then back to Leona.

She was too surprised for words as she looked at Lucas wide-eyed. He immediately became concerned as he walked towards her.

"Is this your first time fighting?" he asked her.

She nodded slowly. He placed a calming hand on of her shoulder; she was startled by this and pulled away.

"Everything's alright. The danger's past." His sword had returned to its former length and he slipped it back into his inside pocket.

"But…what _was_ that? I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen anything like it."

"That I cannot answer. Maybe they just stumbled across here. Who knows how monsters think?"

"Are you saying this is completely normal?"

"Monsters?" he asked.

"Is that what they were? You've seen something like this?"

"Actually, I've never seen anything like them before, but I've definitely fought my fair share of monsters. They did seem different…unnatural."

Leona began to see the other in a new light and she began to understand that the other lived in a different world than she. All those snide "princess" remarks made more sense…not that that excused his annoying teasing habits. It was hard for her to imagine a place dissimilar to the one she had been raised. Did the rest of the world live in constant peril? She was looking at the ravished creatures and wondered what they would do with them. Was it common practice just to leave them out in the open?"

"What should we do about…" she said as she indicated the creatures with her arm.

"Well…" he said slowly turning to them, "That's a good question. Maybe throw them off the side? I'm used to just seeing things like this in the wild. We just leave them and let nature take care of it. I suppose it would raise unnecessary alarm if we left things like this."

She didn't want to touch them…She imagined it would be messy work and she looked at Lucas expectantly. He gave her a wry smile.

"At your service, princess," he said with a dramatic bow.

But even as he began to approach them, the creatures began to dissipate all on their own. She'd never seen the like.

"What's happening?" Leona asked aloud.

All he could do was shrug. "I've never seen this before." He'd already stopped moving.

It wasn't long before the inky black creatures were turned into a swirly trail of black particulates. Leona thought that they would simply be taken by the wind or the environment around them, but then they began to behave oddly as if it were being drawn to something, in their case _someone_. She instinctively moved backwards slowly along with Lucas. Before they could turn and effectively start running, the particulates advanced upon them in record time, but they were not coming towards her she realized, but Lucas.

She watched in both interest and horror as the trail of black dust-like particles flowed into him not through him as she had half-expected. It happened so quickly and yet so slowly.

"Lucas!" she found herself shouting. She admittedly didn't know the boy that well, but she had just spent a large chunk of the morning with him. It was enough for her to feel reasonably concerned for his well-being.

He shouted in pain and fell to his knees. She ran over to him then unsure of how she should respond to the situation. What did her father always do whenever she was in pain? She squatted down to his level and carefully set her knees on the ground before pulling him closer to her in an embrace. She couldn't heal him, she couldn't do anything useful, but she could do this. She felt him shivering under her touch and his breathing was hard and ragged. She hadn't the slightest clue what had just occurred, but she found that she didn't care. In that moment, she simply wanted to protect him.

She felt as if she had remained in that position for an eternity but in all actuality it had only been a few minutes. His breathing had returned to normal and he pulled away from her. He was standing again before she knew it; he turned away from her as if embarrassed—he probably was, she thought to herself. She climbed to her feet as well dusting off her precious dress.

"Are you okay?" Leona asked.

"I'm…fine," he said after a long pause. He hadn't bothered turning to speak to her properly.

"My mom's a healer. I bet she could fix whatever's wrong with you."

"There's _nothing_ wrong with me," he said quickly.

Leona was caught off guard by this. "You can't be serious. Can you explain what just happened?"

"I can't, but I'm sure no one else could either…Let's just keep this between you and me."

Her eyes narrowed a little as she stared at his turned form. "I won't do it."

"Oh?" he replied finally turning to look at her. He appeared to be none the worse for wear. "You tell your mommy and daddy everything?" he said in teasing tones, but somehow this felt different from before. It lacked the playfulness.

She felt that if she said "yes" he'd view her differently. She didn't want _anyone_ to think less of her. Was it wrong that she, in fact, always told her parents everything? She felt, at that moment, that it was. "Yes…"

He "humph"-ed at her. "Here we are on your thirteenth birthday celebrating in all truth your budding independence. I'm sure your parents more or less forced you to go mingle with the attendees and _told_ you to go introduce yourself to me—am I right?" he asked.

She could only nod.

"They want you to have something separate from them. They want you to make your own decisions. They _don't_ want to know every waking detail of your life. You've already taken the first step by agreeing to come show me around and now you have yet another decision to make."

"Another decision?" she asked.

"Whether you want your mother to know about this or not. I already told you that I'm fine—we don't have to make a big deal about it. Besides, this is _your_ birthday. Do you really want to spend it having everyone worried about little ol' me?"

"Well…" she said with obvious uncertainty. She could tell that he really didn't want other people to know what happened, but she wondered why they had to be so secretive of the whole thing.

"Fine," he said crossing his arms. "I can't force you to do something you don't t want to do."

"Just…what's so bad about telling my mom. What's the _real_ reason?"

"As if the other reasons were fake," he said sardonically. He walked ahead of her a little. "I hate it when people worry about me—it draws too much attention and people start to treat you differently. I _don't_ want to be a burden."

"That's the first real reason you've given me," she said. "I don't get it, but I suppose it's something. You look fine, you seem fine, but the moment I see something out of the ordinary I'm going to get you some real help. And, of course, you'd tell me if anything else happens to you, right?"

"Of course," he said, but she could tell that his response was dripping with sarcasm.

It just meant that she would have to keep her eyes on him. Something told her, however, that that task would prove to be difficult.

"You can do light-based magic," he said out of the blue as they walked to the light rail.

Leona simply nodded her head. She had no idea what he was getting at.

"That's something your mom can do."

She nodded again.

"So what about healing?"

She frowned at this. "Unfortunately something that I've never been able to do."

"Are you sure?"

Leona gave him a confused look. "What kind of questions is that? I just said that I've not been able to."

"Hmmm…That _is_ unfortunate."

Leona looked down at this. When he said it aloud, it made her feel far worse about this fact.

"If I had that kind of ability…Nevermind," he said just when she was becoming interested.

"This isn't about what happened before, is it?" Leona questioned the other.

"Enough about that already."

"How did it feel?" Leona pressed on.

"You just don't know when to quit." But that didn't answer her questions and she was sure that it would go on being unanswered.

Leona finally dropped the topic when the other became closemouthed about it. The secrecy made no sense at all to her. Maybe there was something else he wasn't telling or maybe it was as he said—he hated people worrying about him. Yet another fact that she couldn't make sense of. This was why she avoided people, she realized. They didn't always make logical choices and she would be left wondering why that was so.

They didn't have a long to wait for the light rail and when they did get on, Lucas insisted on sitting near the window. The way he would gaze out the window as if it were the most wondrous thing he'd ever seen, it reminded her of a wide-eyed dog with its tongue sticking out; a comparison that made her giggle. It drew a glance from him, but she waved him off and he shrugged with disinterest.

"How did you get here by yourself?" Leona asked as they neared their destination.

He still gazed out the window. "I walked."

"What?" Leona said with surprise. "You just…"

"Walked," he repeated. "You know, putting one foot in front of the other."

Leona rolled her eyes, but then stopped herself—when had she started doing such things? "I'm saying—that's quite a long distance."

"Is it? How would you know anyway if you have no clue where I live?"

That was a good point, she thought drearily to herself, but she assumed he must have lived far because of how different he was. "Well, then, how is the rest of your family getting here?"

"Linus has his own means of getting here. My parents will probably take the girls with them and Ludovic, well, he'll have to walk or wait for my parents to make a second trip. Knowing him, he'll probably just wait."

Leona realized then that they must have had a limited means for transportation if his parents were completely fine with him coming all the way here on his own. How old was he anyway? And was this a normal thing? She wondered how it might feel like if her parents informed her that she'd have to find her own way to some faraway place. It would certainly be unsettling.

"So there's Linus, Ludovic, you…and two other sisters who probably have 'L' names."

"Look who's talking _Leona_."

Leona realized that this was perhaps the first time he'd said her name and for some reason she could not pinpoint it brought a slight blush to her face.

"That's just a coincidence," she argued back. "Besides, Mom said Dad had wanted to name me Fiona instead, but he lost a coin toss."

"I see, so it was all left to chance. My parents weren't nearly as indecisive. They'd decided for some crazy reason to name all the boys with 'L' names and all the girls with 'C' names. Now we can all stumble over each other's names for all eternity."

"So your sisters are named…?"

"Cecil and Cathe," he finished.

"Oh," she said a little surprised, "Those are pretty."

"You don't have to say it like that. I think for the most part as far as names goes that it could it have been far worse. Although they should have named _me_ Ludovic and the other Lucas…"

"No way," Leona said at once which drew another glance from him. She supposed she'd been too excited. "I mean, you're definitely Lucas not that other weird sounding name."

"Ludovic means 'famous warrior' and he definitely isn't one, that pushover."

"You don't like him?" Leona inquired.

"There's no reason _not_ to like him, but you'd be hard pressed to hold any sort of conversation with him. He keeps to himself and he's distressingly shy. Don't put the poor boy under a spotlight, he's liable to crumble into a million pieces."

Leona sat back in her seat trying to picture the boy he'd just described along with his older music-loving Linus and his two mysterious sisters with beautiful names. It was impossible for her really, but she imagined home life was not nearly as quiet as hers.

"Must be nice having other kids to play with all the time," Leona said.

"It has its moments," he said after a pause, "But it must be even nicer to have your personal time—to do exactly what you want, when you want."

"It…has its moments. Well, really, I rather like it. Sometimes I get a little lonely, but…"

"Then invite your friends over—it's guaranteed not to become some overcrowded mess of a gathering like it would at my home."

"Well…I don't…" she began slowly

"Say no more," he said before she could finish. She was expecting him to start up his teasing once again, but he was oddly silent on a rather good opportunity. "Some people just don't like being around a whole lot of other people. I'm sure you aren't exactly thrilled to go back to your own birthday party."

She shook her head, but realized that he was not looking at her. "Not really…But I do appreciate the effort everyone's taking to come to it. I guess I should be more thankful. And my parents, they can't wait to see everyone…"

"That's different. You're parents, my parents. It's just different."

"What do you mean?" she asked intrigued.

"They all went through something together, something that will always keep them bonded. It's like…another family. So that would make us family too."

Leona's eyebrows scrunched at this. "But we didn't grow up together."

"Apparently, you don't need to. I bet if they had the means, they'd do this sort of thing with every single one of our birthdays…and that would be quite a lot. This day is about you, sure, but it's definitely an unofficial family reunion. That alone makes it all worthwhile."

"That's something my parents would never say, but…I think you're right."

"I know you live in Altamira here all by yourself and you like your personal time, but you wouldn't mind it if I visited sometimes, right?"

Leona was caught off guard by this. She wondered what had brought this on. "I don't see…why not. But it won't be every day, will it?"

"It takes at least two to three days to get here—I doubt I'd be able to pull that off anyway."

"Oh," she said realizing that she'd been right in assuming that he lived far off. "It's a wonder you kept your clothes looking nice."

"I changed when I got here. It would not have been a pretty sight otherwise," he said with a laugh.

It didn't take too much longer to return to the general area where her birthday party was being held and it seemed as they entered the building once again, that a lot more people had arrived and the music on the side stage had started up again. This time the music was orchestral again, but very danceable and many people were out on the dancefloor. It wasn't anything too jarring, just traditional ballroom music that she'd been trained long ago to dance to properly. She tagged along with Lucas who for once she was glad he was around. If there was someone she should know, he would certainly let her know.

There were kids her age as well, many of them and she knew none of them. The bolder ones would stop her and introduce themselves, but she suspected that it might have been worse had she not been walking alongside Lucas. She half wanted to simply tell them all that she was dating Lucas and that they should all just leave her alone, but that was a move far too bold for her. Besides, she didn't want to give the other the wrong idea.

"C'mon, let's move to a less populated area," Lucas said with a raised voice when he looked back at her.

Leona could only nod. Thanks to her height, she could see where he was leading them through the crowd. She remembered there had been tables for people to sit at around the corners of the room and this was where she was being taken. Only a few people were actually sitting down. It seemed the majority of the attendees had the same idea in mind. At the very least, she could take a breather from the closeness of people.

"You alright?" Lucas asked.

Leona was a little confused by his concern. Did she look unwell? "Oh, I'm fine. I just don't like such big crowds." Something in her expression must have given away her uneasiness.

"I noticed. You said this is your first time going to something like this. Maybe you'll get used to it," he suggested.

Leona severely doubted this notion, but she gave the other a brief smile. That was when her eye caught a woman sitting down a little ways from them; she was looking her way. Then the woman waved politely as if she might know her. Leona wondered if this was someone she _should_ know. Leona waved back as well out of courtesy. An eyebrow raised on Lucas' face when he turned to see where she was looking.

"You know her?" Lucas asked.

Leona shook her head. "I thought you did."

"No, but you've already gotten her hopes up, better go say hi."

The lady had long ebony hair and kind hazel eyes. She smiled courteously. Leona noted that she sat alone at the table. Perhaps she'd come alone to the party. She was quite a beautiful woman, Leona had to admit with her milky white skin and her petite features. When she was close enough, she also noticed slightly pointed ears—she must have been a half-elf.

Leona was at a loss as to what to say to her, but Lucas thankfully picked up the slack—if she could call it that. He wasn't much better.

"Wh-Why hello, madam. A pleasure to meet you," Lucas managed to get out.

Leona wondered what was wrong with the other—he'd never stumbled over his words before.

"The pleasure is all mines." The woman wasn't even looking at Lucas, however. "You're Leona, right? The woman of the hour, or day to be more precise."

"Yes, that would be me."

"Come, sit with me for a bit. Humor an old woman."

Leona looked to Lucas for guidance, but he was incredibly unhelpful. He was giving the woman almost the same kind of gaze that he'd given the jazz band a few hours back; odd. Finally, she decided to simply take a seat and Lucas took the last one which was situated in between them at the round table.

"My name is Clarion and I was hoping I'd run into you here. I'm sure many other people would say the same, but I have urgent business with you."

"With me?" Leona asked mystified.

"A prophecy which you must be informed of."

Then Lucas gave a short laugh. "What are you going on about?" Leona glanced over at him; he seemed to have regained his senses. "Did someone put you up to this?"

"No," she said giving him a full-fledged smile which, Leona noted, caused him to turn a light shade of red. "I am being very serious. It is a short one, though: The seed that saved the world will destroy it."

Both Leona and Lucas were silent for a moment. It was Lucas that spoke first.

"That makes no sense at all. Are you talking about the tree of mana?"

She grinned. "Prophecies are rarely clear, but I've known of this since I was first able to read. My entire mission in life was to repeat it to you, Leona, child of Raine Sage. Naturally, I've had time to decipher its meaning. In time, you will have to embark on a journey to save this world. You will know when the time comes."

Leona hardly believed the words coming out of the woman's mouth. "A journey? All by myself?"

"Of course not. It would be impossible by yourself. Like all great things in life, you would need the help of your friends."

_Well then the world is doomed if it's depended on my vast selection of "friends"_, she thought to herself sardonically. "You see," Leona began slowly. "I don't have any friends."

Clarion seemed amused by this and then looked towards Lucas. "Then who is this young man to you?"

"Oh, Lucas? He's just an acquaintance."

"An _acquaintance_?" he asked a little surprised.

This caused a good spirited laugh from Clarion and Leona was left wondering if she'd missed something. It wasn't as if she knew Lucas that well to start telling complete strangers that they were friends. Surely that was too strong of a word.

"You invite _acquaintances_ to come over to your house," Lucas asked incredulously.

Leona remembered his odd question when they were on the light rail. "I didn't invite you. You asked and I didn't see any reason to deny your request."

Leona wondered why he turned a darker shade of red and turned to look anywhere besides her face—he was acting quite strangely, she decided. Maybe he was embarrassed for some reason.

"Same difference," he finally said back to her

This drew another laugh from Clarion who seemed to be entertained by their display. Leona found that there was nothing remotely funny about the entire exchange.

"You have a lot yet to learn, Leona," Clarion said with a smile. "You're not ready yet, but you will be soon. As for your acquaintance Lucas, you are right to be worried about him."

Leona stared at her as if she was speaking foreign language. How would this woman know about the fact that she was still worried about him after their encounter with the strange creatures?

"Can you help him?" Leona blurted out before she could stop herself.

Clarion shook her head. "There are a lot of things that I know, but I am unable to help directly, a frustrating fact, I know. Keep an eye on him. That is all I can say."

"Hey, I'm right here," Lucas said with a frown. "And unless you're going to tell me that I'm going to drop dead in the next few minutes, I'll be fine."

"Let's hope it stays that way," the woman said mysteriously.

The woman gave her little peace of mind, but there was nothing she could do for it. She wished she had more information about all of this. Then again, was she really considering the words of this strange woman? Oddly enough, however, the woman appeared trustworthy. Leona could find no reason to dismiss her words. She wondered if she should tell her parents. Then again, she didn't want to worry them over something that could very well be wrong. Her parents were the kind to investigate and make sure what she was saying wasn't true before letting the matter rest especially something like this. As farfetched as it sounded, Leona suspected her parents would be overly concerned. These were the same people who had helped to save the world; it came with the territory.

Clarion stood up and then so did they. She said her farewell and disappeared into the growing crowd. She wondered if the woman was the type to join into the dance, but something told her that the half-elf probably promptly left the building—that is if it was the case that she had come solely to give her that message.

"I wouldn't take her seriously," Lucas said shaking his head. "The world is made up of all types. The crazy ones keep it interesting."

Leona didn't know what to say back to this and simply nodded at the other. Now she had to figure out what she should do next. Ask Lucas to dance with her? The music was playing and everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves out there. Very few were sitting down. Not to mention the moment was about to turn into an awkward silence. She was looking at Lucas now about to form the words and he seemed about to say something as well.

"Oh, would you look at the two love birds!" a man's jovial voice interrupted them.

Lucas' teeth gritted at the very sound of the man and Leona was immediately interested as to who this person was that could elicit such a strong emotion from Lucas. A very handsome red headed man dressed in an elaborate highbrow attire smiled at them as if he knew them well. This must have been someone she should know, but for once she didn't need to be told this. Though her memory of him was hazy, he had left enough of an impression on her to recognize him.

"Perfect timing as always. What the heck are you doing here anyway? Isn't this too early for you, Mr. Fashionably Late?" Lucas asked with a frown.

"Now, is that anyway to speak to your godfather?" he asked teasingly. "_Someone_ needs to chaperone you little squirts."

"What did you call me?" Lucas asked clearly upset.

Leona remembered him now as she continued to hear his voice—Zelos Wilder. A man who, she confessed, had always been easy on the eyes. A man who was so drastically different from her father that she wondered how they could have become friends in the first place. He had a winning smile and he'd always treated her with the utmost respect. She wondered why that was so when he treated most other people differently. Maybe it was because she only interacted with him on her birthdays and that was his unspoken present.

"May I have this dance with you, Lady Leona," Zelos was soon asking her.

An odd feeling came over her as he looked at her kindly with those aquamarine eyes of his. She realized that she was quite pleased that he had asked and readily accepted his offer without giving a second thought to poor Lucas. She was soon whisked away to the dance floor.

Of course he was a superb dancer. She liked that he was a few inches taller than her; it made her feel less self-conscious about her height.

"I can't imagine this function has been very easy for you," Zelos said as he twirled her about.

_How does he know?_ "It hasn't been," she admitted, "I'm still trying to get used to it all."

"Well, if you ask me, I think you're doing excellent. A beautiful woman like you has nothing to fear in the eyes of the public." Leona was surprised and pleased at how easily he could say such things to her.

_He called me a woman._ "Oh…you're far too kind, sir."

"Sir?" he said with a slight frown, "For the love of Martel, just call me Zelos, alright?"

"Of course, sir—I mean, Zelos."

Had she always called him Zelos, she wondered? The name sounded odd on her tongue. She felt as if she was doing something taboo as she spoke his name freely. Being respectful to her elders was pretty much second nature to her by then.

Zelos chuckled. "I feel like a broken record sometimes. I'm already startin' to repeat myself."

"Oh, it's not you at all. I just…forget things that I don't deem important. It's a bad habit of mine."

"Now you sound like Raine," he said with a grin.

"Is that a bad thing?" she wondered out loud.

"Not at all," he said quickly. "I think it's amusing personally."

"I do hope I can stay the same height as my mother. I'm already far too tall for my age."

"Now who put that idea into your head?" Zelos asked as they continued to glide easily across the floor. "The taller, the lovelier. Then you can weed out all the low-confidence guys."

And just like that she felt ten times better about herself. Such things seemed to come easy to the man who held her hands firmly in his. She thought she could have danced with him all night and he could continue to compliment her, but soon the song ended and Zelos brought her back to where she'd been previously. She noticed that Lucas was nowhere to be found by then—she was all alone.

"I hope you have an enjoyable evening. Your parents have something planned for you in the smaller room in an hour's time. Now if you excuse me, I think it's time I saved my wife from these thirsty looking men."

She wanted him to stay by her side, but there was no non-awkward way of doing this and she didn't want to follow him like a lost puppy so she simply said her goodbyes to the interesting man and watched him just like Clarion disappear into the crowd.

She wondered why so many people liked to stand and crowd around the dancefloor if they weren't dancing themselves, but she supposed that she should probably join them. She did have an entire hour to kill. If only her parents had let her know what was happening today, she'd feel less in the dark about the whole affair. Why did everyone else know, but her? Had it simply slipped their minds?

She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled politely at the nearby women. _Somebody please save me…_

* * *

AN: Alright, everyone, my plan is to have a new chapter each week. I've drafted the entire outline for this story so I have direction as to where this is going and even an ending to this. Of course, I'm always willing to change details as the story progresses if reviewers give me better ideas or want to see more of someone or certain characters. Wish me luck. I really want to stay on schedule! I'm off at work on Thursdays and Fridays so that's probably when I'll be doing the most writing and uploading.


	6. Extravaganza-Part 3

AN: I hope you enjoyed the last chapter…'cus this one is even longer. So many characters to write about! Let's hope I can keep your attention the whole way through.

Romina78: Oh, yes, something _is_ starting to happen…but, Clarion, she's just a crazy lady with a completely untrue prophecy, right? And yes ExM is for Emil and Marta…I should put them in at some point…like at the end somewhere. I'll figure it out. They just don't have a lot to do with the story.

* * *

Chapter 6: Extravaganza-Part 3

She'd taken to observing her surroundings as she spoke politely to people; holding light conversation became easier the more she willed herself to do it, but that didn't mean she had to like it. Her eyes, as soon as they could, caught sight of a rather gorgeous looking youth who seemed to be around her age. Her eyes kept returning to him hoping that he would see her and reward her with a smile—she _was_ the birthday girl, she told herself, when she chided herself for being so fickle. Truly, she'd not seen a lovelier looking person that entire day. His emerald eyes sparkled whenever the light hit them at just the right angle and the more she studied his features, the more she realized just how unbelievably even they were—was it possible to have a perfect face? His long vibrant dark purple hair was slicked back and fell into a waterfall of luscious spirally curls near the ends. Something about the way his hair fell reminded her of someone, but she couldn't remember who.

Then he looked at her; she thought she would melt far into the floor. He smiled and her ears began to burn as if they were far too close to a candle. The way he waved at her, however, suggested that he knew her, but that was impossible. Surely, she'd remember such an exquisite looking creature. He was waving her over now and he called out her name. Did he really know her? Then again, it wasn't completely out the question that he might know her on sight being as this was Altamira. But she was almost certain she'd not met him before.

She didn't keep the youth waiting and made her way through the crowd towards him.

"I've been looking all over for you," he said at once when she was close enough to hear without having to shout.

Leona found herself speechless. _Me?_

"Truly the most beautiful woman here."

She had to find her voice or else she'd simply be standing there gawking. His smile turned into an equally as becoming grin. _Martel, give me strength…_ "Um…do I know you?"

Then his face fell. "Oh, I'm truly hurt!" he said with mirthful drama. "I'm Eros not to be confused with Zephyr my twin." He took up her hand and raised it to his lips. "Either way, it is an honor seeing you again, my budding rose." And he kissed the back of her hand gently.

_Sorry, but I don't remember you at all. Why can't I remember you? _"Th-thank you. I-It's a pleasure meeting you."

"Ah, you're so _formal_. Dance with me. Maybe I can jog your memory. Perhaps that confused look will turn to a knowing one."

She didn't have a chance to tell him if she was really in the mood to dance; besides, it sounded more like an order. She felt as if she was being swept off her feet. The music had changed to something a bit faster, but it was still in the vein of ballroom dancing. Eros was equally as well versed in dancing as her first dance partner that afternoon. This time felt a little different, however. Now she felt as if all eyes were on them and this time she could have sworn she was about a half inch closer to him than she needed to be. She smelled his alluring cologne and his sweet smelling hair; the scents seemed to work well together, neither overwhelming the other. Was that on purpose, she wondered?

"Hmm…Let's see," he said after awhile. Even his thoughtful face took her breath away. "I was—still am—pretty good at annoying the snot out of people and when you bring Zeph into it, it's near unbearable. I do apologize for any ill-feelings you might have harbored towards us—it is simply our way."

"Wait a minute…!" Leona said when her mind made a startling conclusion. "You're those obnoxious red-headed twins."

"Red-headed?" he asked in momentary confusion. He raised an eyebrow (another winning expression). "I've never been that before, but, you know, it seems to work out for Dad. I know; you're probably mixing us up with Cecil and Cathe—_they're_ red-headed and the way they do everything together, you'd think they were twins too."

"Cecil and Cathe…" Leona said slowly. She'd heard the names before. Lucas had mentioned them. "You mean Lucas' sisters?"

"That would be them. I'm quite impressed." He hadn't said it in belittling tones as she imagined Lucas would have. "But they're nothing like us, I assure you. Not the smartest people in the world, but they're fun to be around."

"I think I got it now," Leona said unable to stop herself smiling at her achievement. It was all beginning to make sense now.

He smiled as well and just like that she was enraptured by him yet again—why was he so gorgeous? She hoped he continued being this person as opposed to the headache inducing twins she hated with a passion once upon a time. The melody eventually ended and Eros was taking her further back into the room.

"Let's go meet up with everyone else," he suggested. "I would hate to be responsible for making the birthday girl late to her dinner."

"There's going to be a dinner?" Leona asked. That was news to her. No one told her anything.

"Oh," he said covering his mouth. "Pretend like I didn't say that. The thought of suffering my mother's wrath…"

"You don't have to worry!" Leona said quickly, "I'll just feign surprise, alright? No one has to get hurt." Then she sighed. "I just wish this wasn't so _secretive_. You wouldn't happen to know anything else that's going to happen today, would you?"

"Oh, no, I think I've said enough. Besides, I can't wait to see the look of surprise on that beautiful face of yours."

She supposed Eros hadn't revealed all that much. Her father always cooked some sort of feast on her birthday anyway. As they were reaching the back of the room, she spotted another youth who looked a lot like the one who still held her arm leading her. He must have been the twin brother Eros had referred to earlier, Zephyr.

Even if they dressed similarly and looked exactly the same (aside from a different hairstyle since this one wore his in a long braid), there was something different about this one.

"So _that's_ where you've been—hogging the birthday girl all to yourself. Well played," Zeph said upon them reaching him.

He smiled just the same as Eros, but there was something missing, that something which caused her to melt. His eyes sparkled as well, but she was not nearly as impressed. Her fickleness had reached new heights. Now she was comparing the physical appearance of people who theoretically looked the same. He took her other hand and kissed her gently in almost the same way, but he did not end his sentence in "budding rose". She smiled and greeted him. Then she found that she was being escorted by not one, but two boys. If she was worried about garnering too much attention, she was definitely doing so now, but at that moment, she felt like a queen being taken to her castle.

They left her side to open the double doors which led into the smaller room that Zelos had been talking about and she was presented with a room filled with people she vaguely remembered including those who she had met earlier—Zelos and Lucas. The smell of savory food hit her nose hard and her stomach remembered that she hadn't eaten anything all day. They'd been talking amongst themselves, some already sitting down, some still standing, but when she entered the room, all conversation stopped and it immediately made her nervous. Sometimes being the center of attention was nerve-wracking. For a brief moment, she wished she was anywhere but there. She wanted to hide in some corner.

Then she noticed their expressions before her father and mother walked up to her—they were all so very welcoming. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad getting to know them.

"Alright, the birthday girl's here—now we can all eat!" a man said excitedly. He was a brunette with spiky hair not dissimilar from Lucas' hairstyle.

He received a passing look of annoyance from her father and some laughter from the others.

"You're still an _idiot_, Lloyd," Uncle Genis said aloud which engendered more laughter even from her father as well.

She knew that voice from anywhere. It was her uncle. She couldn't remember a time when she didn't know him. Her mother told her that he was there when she was born as well. He always had such long hair, though his bangs seemed more tamed now than she'd seen it before. He wore his ample hair in a ponytail. He had an easy smile and for the most part he always seemed in a good mood. He was able to talk to her mom in a ways that she wouldn't dare—then again, he probably knew her far better than her.

There was also her Aunt Presea; an odd woman with bright pink hair. She was a nice lady, but even Leona sensed her strangeness. She spoke softly and with a near monotone, but they often had long pleasant conversations.

Her eyes swept over the group once again and sadly she could not name everyone there. She spotted the red head that Eros had mentioned along with her sister. They didn't exactly have bright red hair, it was more of a darker, maroon color. One of them wore a decidedly masculine outfit, but she was undeniably pretty even with her scruffy looking hair that fell down to midback; her eyes were a striking gold-hazel. Her sister wore far more feminine clothes, a pink dress punctuated with white ruffles about her sleeves and billowing skirt; her hair was the same color, but not nearly as scruffy. She wore it short and it suited her small face well.

Leona wore a smile on her face as her father finished his approach along with her mother.

"I hope you've been enjoying yourself," her father said firstly to her. "We thought you might like something a little more personal."

"It smells wonderful. Did you really cook all this?" she asked unable to hold the surprise from her tone.

Now that she looked at the spread, it was much larger than anything she'd seen her father do before.

"Some of it," he said with a smile, "But I had some help too."

This was when the dark haired woman with side swept bangs stepped towards her as well. "Yep, your old man and I did the bulk of it."

"_And_ me," Zelos said raising his hand, "If it weren't for me, I have no idea how they could have pulled it off," he said airily. He'd found his way between the two and wrapped his arms around both of them.

Her uncle had both of his hands up as he shook his head. "What he means is, he did about less than 1% of the work," he clarified which only received a feigned hurt look from Zelos.

Leona was secretly glad her mother had not announced that she too had helped—her taste buds would be saved this day.

"Make sure you try the sweet potato pie," the blonde woman nearby said cheerfully, "If Cecil doesn't get to it first."

"The apple pie as well," Aunt Presea said in a tone that Leona had learned to interpret as some measure of joy. "I have an apple tree in the backyard that I made it from. Priya very much enjoys it."

Priya, another familiar name, Leona thought.

"And the super ultimate pumpkin pie," the spikey haired man from earlier added.

"Wait, why is it super ultimate?" Uncle Genis asked intrigued.

"Because it has a secret ingredient," the man said clearly proud of this fact.

"Cinnamon!" the blonde woman cried out.

"It's supposed to be a _secret_!" the spikey haired man said momentarily flabbergasted.

"Oh, sorry," she said with a good natured laugh.

"Actually, cinnamon is a pretty staple ingredient to put into that," her father informed the other.

Leona wondered if there was any actual cake to be eaten. Seemed as if everyone had gone out of their way to make pies for the occasion—maybe it was part of the surprise. She thought for a moment that she'd have to sit through the sudden flurry of conversation about who brought what to the table, but her mother eventually stepped in.

"Alright!" her mother said clapping her hands together and getting everyone's attention. "Let's all find a seat and get this dinner started before kingdom come!"

Now there was an even harder question she had to answer before she could comfortably begin the dinner—who would she sit with? Her parents seemed the obvious answer, but Lucas, the to-die-for twins, Cecil, Cathe, and who she assumed was either Ludovic or Linus was there as well who seemed interested in her joining _them_ instead. The adults seemed to naturally sit together and she decided it might seem odd if she sat between them. Besides, she had claimed that she was turning a new leaf and would make an effort at making friends. As to which of the youths she sat with, that was answered swiftly as the twins dragged her off to naturally sit between them, an action that no one seemed surprised with.

The table they all sat down at was an elongated table with a white table cloth covering its mahogany material. The food itself was situated at the back in a buffet style. Her father didn't usually set it up like this, but given the volume of food, it was probably better that way. She cringed at the thought of having to shout across the table to pass the salt.

Leona found that she couldn't exactly try a little of everything. There was simply too much. Luckily there were so many people there to eat as well. She understood now why her parents had cleverly kept her from eating that morning. This seemed like it could keep her full for days and days. Still, she got her usual proportions and went back to her chosen seat. Eventually she was joined by everyone else.

"Well, I think it's high time we all introduced ourselves to Leona—if you haven't already," Lucas said aloud.

Did he have to rub it in so hard that she was so ignorant to everyone's names? But no one's spirits seemed dampened by this.

"I'm Cecilia, but you can call me Cecil," the long, crimson haired girl said with a toothy grin. Leona noted that her plate was packed far more abundantly than hers and she seemed unashamed about this. "Also, Mom was right about the sweet potato pie…"

"A pleasure to meet you. My name's Catherine, but you can call me Cathe," the girl with the shorter red hair declared.

Leona had a sneaking suspicion as to who the quiet brunette boy was that sat next Lucas. Long bangs obscured his eyes and she could barely make out his face.

He smiled nervously at her. "Um…I'm Ludovic," he said simply. He was soft spoken and barely heard over the noise the adults were making. He looked younger than Lucas and appeared wiry when compared to his fairly muscled brother, but something seemed quite endearing about the boy.

Zephyr and Eros needed no introduction. Somehow she could already tell them apart with ease. Then again, they did wear distinctly different hairstyles. She went down the list of children in her mind and realized that she was missing someone—Linus.

"What about Linus?" Leona asked at once. She was hoping to impress the somewhat cynical Lucas.

He seemed unaffected by her use of his name, but he readily gave her an answer. "He'll probably be a bit late. He's a busy man, you know."

"He is?" Leona asked. "What does he do?"

"Busy people stuff," Lucas said with obvious sarcasm.

"Give it a rest, already," Zephyr said, "You think you can hold your tongue for at least one day?" he asked wearily to Lucas. "Besides, don't think I didn't miss the fact that you were here _quite_ early today."

Lucas looked away from him with a "hmph". "Mind your business. If you really must know, I left early to make it here on time—the roads are pretty unpredictable."

"_Riiight_," Eros said in a tone that suggested that he did not believe him at all. "Tell us anything."

For once, Leona was glad to having their teasing abilities on her side. Lucas needed a taste of his own medicine.

"Left poor Ludovic all by himself at home," Zephyr continued. "What could be all the rush for, huh, Lucas?"

It was then that Leona heard the sound of a baby drifting past her ears. She looked towards the source and saw that Aunt Presea was holding a small baby in her lap as she fed the baby. Leona was momentarily confused; she hadn't heard a baby the whole time. No one else looked surprised at this sudden intrusion. She had to dig a little deep in her mind to remember that Uncle Genis had mentioned something about having his first baby and that they were deciding on a name. Well, the baby was born and they must have already had a name by now.

"Who's the baby?" Leona asked intrigued by this development.

This time Cecil answered her. "That's Priya. Presea likes to carry her on her back in tied cloth—I swear that baby is unnaturally quiet. You wouldn't know she was there if you weren't looking."

She watched the softly giggling child for a moment and then returned her eyes to her plate.

"So, I guess everyone had to walk to get here," Leona said momentarily, "I had no idea you guys had to do that."

"Actually, that was just Lucas," Cathe said, "But it made sense—a Rheaird can fit a maximum of two people at once, but you can squeeze on two more."

"Eventually, we'll have to make do with carriages to get to places," Cecil added. "They use mana and every year the amount of mana in the world, at least what is accessible, gets weaker and weaker. Dad explained it. At some point, there will only be a minimal of it left in the world once the flow of mana from the great tree is fully redirected to that gate—what did he call it?"

"Ginnungagap," Lucas said as if it were common knowledge. "Then the world withers away and dies."

"Really?" Leona asked surprised by this. She'd remembered her father telling her all these things, but he must have conveniently left out this detail.

"Well, he's not wrong," Zeph said, "But it's not anything instant—it'll take a very long time before that ever happens. Well past any of our lifetimes."

Leona felt only a little relieved. Even if it didn't happen in her lifetime, it would happen at some time and all those alive then would have no choice but to die—it was a depressing thought."

"Enough talk about death, already," Cecil said abruptly. "We're supposed to be in birthday-mode, remember?"

"As long as there's food, I doubt there's anything that could get you down," Lucas said with a grin towards his sister.

"And that's why I adore your birthday parties," Cecil said looking at Leona, "Never-ending supply of food."

Leona noticed that Lucas' plate had been packed even more than Cecil's and he was unapologetic about it. In fact, he practically inhaled it. Zeph's and Eros' plate was a bit more modest but not by much. Even Ludovic's portions were on par with his brother's. She looked down at her scant food and wondered if she should get far more. She'd eat until she was full, she concluded, but not too full. She still had to save room for the pies and she was certain there would be a cake later.

"And by the way, Leona, I _love_ your dress," Cathe said. "I remember seeing that in a catalog –love at first sight. We must have the same taste."

Just like that, they started an embarrassingly long conversation about dresses and fashion that hardly anyone but the two of them could keep up with. Lucas was surprisingly not completely unknowing and even Ludovic added a few comments. The only one clearly disinterested from the whole thing was Cecil who avoided dresses like the plague. Zeph and Eros were decidedly well-informed.

Everyone went for seconds including Leona. It wasn't until the third plate that she took part in the dessert—the sweet potato pie that the blonde woman had made was already missing quite a few slices. Leona got a small one for herself. Even if no one would say it outright, there was definitely going to be a cake.

The adults were louder than they were for the most part—they seemed to have stories for days and Leona found herself listening to some of them though she didn't fully understand all of it.

"Yep, definitely a family reunion," Lucas said whose attention had briefly turned to his parents who were telling some story about something Ludovic did in school.

Cecil went for another plate, Leona couldn't remember which number it was. She was a slender teen, Leona noted as she came back with a plate full of deserts (the last of the sweet potato pie) and fairly tall as well. She gave off an air or authority even if she had never once ordered her around. She wore a grin on her face when she caught Leona watching her. She set her plate on the table, but she did not sit down. Leona wondered if she had done something wrong. Soon, however, Cecil's eyes were no longer on her, but on the unsuspecting Lucas whose attention was on Zeph.

All in a startling second, Cecil climbed atop the table with one smooth motion. In the next second, she had her sword drawn—it was a dagger that quickly grew longer in the same manner as Lucas' weapon—and she had it pointed towards Lucas who was caught completely off guard. Leona wasn't sure who _wouldn't_ be, in that situation. She was too shocked for words at this point.

"I challenge you to a fight!" Cecil shouted for everyone clearly to hear. Her voice was slightly deeper than that of a young woman; it was still yet smooth at least for now.

"Are you crazy?" Lucas said back immediately, "This isn't the time or place!"

"I can challenge whoever I please, whenever I please. What's the matter, don't want to be embarrassed in front of your girlfriend?"

Lucas colored slightly. "If you don't get down from that table right now—" Lucas began, standing up so quickly that he very nearly tipped over the chair he'd been sitting in.

Leona was too caught up with their conversation to see when the spikey haired man from before stepped in. Everyone, in fact, had stopped eating to watch the spectacle before them, Leona realized. She supposed it was only naturally that someone with authority would then defuse the situation. She realized that he must be their father, Lloyd.

"That's enough, Cecil," the man said evenly, "Step down from there and talk to me—you too, Lucas."

Cecil gave Lucas one last look before finally hopping down from the table with a single leap and standing before her father. With an exasperated sigh, Lucas made his way over as well.

"Now, Cecil, I told you about randomly telling people to fight you—if they say 'no', then that's the end of it. We were invited here today to _celebrate_ not to _fight_ each other. Now tell me what's going on."

Cecil was frowning by now. "I thought it'd be a good time to kick his a—…umm, I mean butt right now."

"But why?" Lloyd asked slightly confused with her answer.

"Because I felt like it," Cecil announced proudly.

"Dad, this isn't going anywhere," Lucas said exasperatedly, "She's crazy, we all know this by now."

"Lucas," Lloyd said wearily.

"Why don't you do what you always do and ask her to apologize?"

"I was getting to that," Lloyd said not in the slightest bit put off. "Cecil, apologize to Lucas."

Cecil crossed her arms and grimaced disdainfully.

"You don't want me to repeat myself," said Lloyd in darkening tones. "Contrary to what Lucas thinks about you, you know what you did wrong."

"Why don't you let me start?" Lucas asked, showing, in Leona's opinion, rare maturity.

"If you feel as if you have something to apologize for…" Lloyd said to the youth.

"Well, something I did must have ticked you off," Lucas said to Cecil, "Though, I have no idea what. Whatever it is, I'm sorry it came to leaping on tables. Rest assured I'd be glad to continue this elsewhere later on."

"Good," Cecil said back haughtily. "Then I suppose I'm sorry as well for causing an unnecessary scene." Leona was unprepared when she looked to her. "And to you."

When Cecil looked at her directly like that, it sent shivers down her back. She didn't think she should be scared of the young woman, but she did demand a certain amount of respect. All she could manage to do was nod towards her.

"That's what I like to hear," Lloyd said, his serious face breaking into a bright smile. "Cecil, I've told you this before, but I guess repeating myself won't hurt you. When I'm not around, your big brother is in charge and you have to show him respect, alright? And he will do the same to you. Now, you know the drill, hug and make up."

Cecil looked absolutely miserable when he said this and Lucas only shrugged already resigned to his "cruel" fate. He grinned at his miserable sister and opened his arms wide to her.

"You should have told me you wanted a hug from your ol' brother," he said in a bright teasing tone.

"Wha…?" Cecil said at a loss of words.

"Surely you knew this was how it would end, right?"

Cecil still looked at him in a confused manner.

"You know, Cecil, I think there's a key point that you're missing. Just c'mere already."

With a sigh, she came towards the other with her eyes looking anywhere but him. When they did actually hug, Leona could practically feel the tension in the room evaporate. They both looked sheepish afterwards, but Cecil even more so.

"See, that wasn't so bad!" Lloyd said in jovial tones. "Now go and enjoy the rest of your food."

Cecil and Lucas returned to the seats eventually and Leona could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Leona couldn't remember the last time she'd been chastised by either of her parents, but when she had been, it certainly didn't involve hugs. Then again, she didn't have siblings either. There was more relationships to keep intact, more personalities to keep in check. That was decidedly a skill in itself and it was the kind of environment that Lucas was used to. She glanced across the table at Lucas and he didn't seem the least bit upset. In fact, he seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing especially at the expense of Cecil's annoyance. At least everyone's mood had been salvaged, but she couldn't understand Cecil.

Perhaps it was as Lucas had told her; she was simply…stupid. But what of Ludovic? He hadn't done anything that would make her think such a thing about him. Then again, he hadn't done much of anything besides keep to himself. Even so, she could tell that he was in a good mood. She could at least see the shy smile on his face. Something about his good mood made her feel likewise though she could not figure out why.

The dinner didn't last for too much longer. Soon it came to a close and in a semi-ceremonial kind of way, she was brought to a table filled with gifts of almost every size. She was quite surprised by it all; she hadn't noticed the table at all, cleverly hidden by a curtain.

This was perhaps the most embarrassing part of any of her birthdays: opening the presents in front of everyone, so much so that she had actually practiced doing it on her free time. She now knew the most efficient method of opening any kind of gift and she even practiced the thanks she'd give to those who'd given her something. Shielded with this knowledge, the entire affair became less of a headache. Her parents usually stood beside her during this time, but they'd opted to stand with everyone else. She was by herself, she realized, and for a moment she had stage fright standing there before the pile of gifts. Then she turned to all the people who she probably should have known far better by this time and they were all smiles. They were all there for her to celebrate her birthday. It was something that resonated with her. She felt compelled to say a few words. Immediately she thought of something short and sweet when she stepped forward a little.

"I know I've been a little terrible about getting to know everyone, but I've decided today to turn a new leaf. Please bear with me and thank you all so much for coming," she finished with a respectful bow.

"That's alright, honey, and we look forward to getting to know you better too," the same dark haired woman with side swept bangs from before responded cheerily. The others readily agreed with her.

With this, she turned to the table and picked up the present that was wrapped in her favorite color—baby blue. She read the tag aloud: "Lloyd". She knew at least who this person was and she looked towards him and smiled. Then she very quickly found where the tape had been placed and removed the wrapping paper from there. In a few seconds, she was holding a wooden box that had clearly been smoothed out and shined. Upon its top was a leaf carved and then painted in a bright green—it was a cute little box. She opened it and inside was a glimmering piece of what could be emerald but it was too cloudy. It was placed in a small golden frame and was attached to a linked chain. She took it out of the box and held it up for all to see. She had just the thing to say for something that resembled jewelry.

"It's beautiful," Leona said hoping she had put in her tone just the right amount of awe. Everyone wanted to know that she appreciated the gifts that they gave her.

She looked up from the odd piece of jewelry when she saw the man she knew had given it to her. Could she really expect a man to know much about fashionable necklaces? He had kind hazel brown eyes and an even kinder smile. She could tell then why people could so easily look up to him.

"I made it myself, the box included. Who knows where life may take you or if you'll suddenly run into that annoying monster that suddenly poisons you?"

"Poisons…me?" Leona asked.

"Yeah, it happens all the time. This charm will protect you from it. Maybe it will come in handy for you one day."

"Oh…" she said uncertain about his explanation. "Thank you, sir."

"And you don't have to wear the gaudy thing around your neck—you just have to have it on you. It's like a good luck charm only better."

_Good, I don't have to wear it…_

"My have you grown. It feels like just yesterday when Regal told me that Raine was actually carrying—and you can bet they kept that secret for as long as physically possible."

She smiled a little, "That sounds like them."

"I heard you're quite the little genius in school." Then he placed a flat palm on her crown. "Keep it up. I'm sure you'll go far."

Now she was beginning to blush as she looked down to the floor. "Thank you, sir."

"Alright, I'm done embarrassing you," he said with a knowing smile.

He moved a little ways from her, but he was still nearby as she placed the necklace back into the box and then onto the table. Perhaps this was a ceremony the way he had decided to stand there—it didn't seem like a thing he'd think to do himself. Leona turned to the table again and picked up a red present: "Cecilia and Cathe". After quickly opening the present she had to open up another box inside to find a perfume named Sakura Blossoms. This time her smile came easily to her face.

"Oh, my gosh, I've always wanted this," Leona said opening the cap and then smelling some of it. She adored the scent and now _she_ could smell like that whenever she wanted. "Thank you, I really appreciate this," she said to the two girls who waved at her.

They approached her as well. Cathe was more approachable than Cecil. She was a girly girl and she had spoken to her at length about fashion. Despite living in a place that Leona now pictured only having tons of treacherous poisonous monsters and out in some unknown corner of the world, Cathe was surprisingly in the know.

"Looks like we look at the same catalogs and I remember seeing that perfume and thinking of you. It suits you well and Cecil agreed!"

"I'll cherish this gift and wear it almost every day," Leona said with a smile.

Cathe was clearly pleased and Leona found her mood infectious. The two young women walked to where their father stood. The next present she opened was from Uncle Genis and Aunt Presea and this one was a bit bigger than the rest. It turned out to be a simple red sundress with a bow on the back. Leona thought the dress was perfect for wearing to school. The two of them walked forward as well.

"I'm glad that you are pleased," Aunt Presea said in a near monotone, "I was going to give you a…bowl, but Genis talked me out of it."

"A bowl?" Leona asked hoping her aunt would explain.

"A bowl is very versatile. You could use it for cooking, planting flowers, holding marbles, and even as a decoration."

"I see. Actually, that makes a lot of sense," Leona said thoughtfully, "But I really like this dress too. I can't wait to put it on."

Her aunt smiled at her.

"Man, I remember the day my sister was having you," Uncle Genis said reminiscing. "And my poor hand losing circulation—but it was well worth it. Raine had still wanted to work and she probably would have had you in the school had I not happened to be so close by to whisk her off to the hospital. It was me, Regal and my sis who was there when you made your first cry." He laughed then. "I couldn't tell who'd actually been through labor—your father was just as shot as she was."

Leona had to smile at this—_that_ sounded like her father, her doting father who she was certain she had wrapped around her finger. The couple went to stand where the growing group nearby was forming.

Then she went for yet another box. This one was yellow and rectangular; it was from Colette. She opened it and found two chopsticks. It was made of a deep brown wood, smoothed and shined. On its end was a teardrop shaped ruby hanging. They wouldn't work well for eating utensils.

"It's for your hair," Colette said who'd walked up to her now.

Leona finally knew the woman's name now. The woman who Lloyd was married to.

"I think it would look beautiful in your hair. In fact, I think it would go well with that red dress you got."

"You'll have to show me how to put it on," Leona said looking down at the chopsticks again, "But it _would_ look rather comely in my hair. Thank you."

"I remember when I came to visit your mother when she was still pregnant with you. We had a girl's day out and your mother was practically glowing! I'd never seen her look so radiant before and it was all because of you. I used to sing to you sometimes back then and your mother said it would calm you down whenever you got a little rowdy."

_My mother…radiant? I would have liked to see that._

Colette joined the others and Leona went for yet another gift. This one was wrapped in black wrapping paper. It was the only one of that color and it came from Zephyr and Eros. This one she was actually interested in opening. What could the handsome duo have decided on giving her? When the wrapping paper was sufficiently removed she opened a box to find a much smaller box in a white cardboard box. Intrigued, she opened and found multiple packets. She couldn't tell what it was. When she lifted it up, however, she noticed her father suddenly lose color in his face and her mother looked a bit shocked. The dark haired woman with the sideswept bangs immediately became angry and Leona personally thought it was comical when she bashed a fist overtop Zelos' head.

"What have you been teaching these kids!" she shouted.

"Ow!" Zelos cried out. "Hey, I'm completely innocent here! Eros asked what he should get her and I said give her something that's useful and celebrates her coming of age—just like you said!"

This didn't seem to help matters as the woman gave him yet another fist. "What happened to my sweet little boys! You've corrupted my sweet little babies!"

"Ack! They're not 'little' boys anymore—

Zelos didn't even get to finish his sentence before receiving yet another whack to the head.

All the while, Leona was utterly confused. "What is it?" she asked almost to herself.

But while their parents were distracted, the twins decided to approach her on their own accord. Eros picked up her hand and kissed it once again. Leona couldn't deny that she was strangely more energetic by his mere touch.

"Your brother and I both agreed," Zeph began, "You are the most breath-taking female we've ever laid eyes on."

"Oh…th-thank you."

"As such," Eros continued—he got her attention in a snap, "we thought this gift appropriate. I thought only of you when I wrapped it and it gives you far more protection than that silly bauble Lloyd gave you…if you know what I mean."

Leona was confused by all of this.

"Oh, my budding rose, you'll understand soon enough. Now we shall run for our lives while we still can."

And in fact they did jet off just as their mother gave chase. Leona watched the scene in confused wonderment until they disappeared out the door of the room. She looked down at the box again and was now becoming increasingly intrigued by it. What forbidden mystery item had been given to her? Would anyone explain? Her parents had approached her then in light of the ruckus from before. Her mother took the small box into her hands.

"Actually, honey, it's quite practical. I'd say it would be smart to keep a few on your person. It's just as Lloyd said it: Who knows where life may take you? Even if you're not sexually active, it's good to be safe. Sometimes one thing just leads to another."

Her father seemed ready to faint. Leave it to her mother to be practical and fully functioning even while others weren't.

"B-but _Raine_…" her father had managed.

Leona thought she understood now what those were in her mother's hand even as she took out three packets and handed it to her. They were condoms. She'd just never seen them before nor touched one. She had, however, read about it. What the twins had said to her made more sense and she began to blush profusely. Had they just proclaimed…?

"Keep them with you and when you can, thank those knucklehead twins….and be careful around them, alright?"

"I understand," Leona said truthfully.

Leona watched her mother drag her father who seemed on the verge of having some sort of heart attack back a few yards to wait their turn in the gift exchange. This time when she picked a gift it was from Ludovic and it was a decidedly small box, smaller than all the rest. She unwrapped it with no trouble, opened the box and beheld a small glass pink tulip with a clip in the back. Leona watched as the shy boy walked forth slowly and stood in front of her looking down at his feet. He was a full head shorter than her.

"I know you don't like people going into your garden—I didn't go in, but I saw a lot of tulips. They were pretty and…I know it's a lot of work keeping them up. And whenever you look at the tulips, your eyes get all…soft. It's the first time I'd ever seen you so…vulnerable…so I made this for you. It's not much…I hope you like it."

"Oh, Ludovic, I love it. I think I'll wear it with that red dress along with the chopstick hairpieces. Thank you, this is so thoughtful!"

"I'm…glad," he said simply with his small, feminine voice and walked over to the others.

By then, the dark haired lady had walked in with a sufficiently scolded set of twins. Though they looked a bit sullen, their faces brightened when they looked at her and she looked away a bit embarrassed. The twins went over to the larger group. Now there were two gifts left, but five people standing there—perhaps her parents had decided to share a gift? But then why would Lucas decide to share with Zelos and the dark haired woman? Maybe it was because Zelos was his godfather, she vaguely remembered him mentioning before. Either way, she took the smallest gift on the table then and unwrapped it. The givers were Zelos and Sheena. Finally she knew the woman's name.

Inside the box was a gold chain necklace and a small golden plate with her name: Leona Bryant etched elegantly into it. She actually had never received a piece of jewelry with her own name on it. This one was simple and very easy to match with a great number of her dresses. Zelos and Sheena had walked up to her.

"Surprisingly enough, Zelos came up with the idea. It's sweet, isn't it?" Sheena said with a smile. "Don't let him tell ya he did it himself, but he did have the finest jewelry shop make it and I think it came out well. I decided on the chain and the material it would be made of."

"This is a wonderful addition to my collection," Leona said modestly with a nod. "In fact…" she said as she unclipped the necklace. "I think I'll wear it now."

"Oh, let me," Sheena said. "Now turn around."

Leona felt as Sheena expertly clipped it on and it fell around her neck perfectly. It went well with the dress she had on now.

Zelos had been quiet until now. "Your father is such a softie. I knew Raine was pregnant even before he told me. He was all mood swingy, anxious, and just in general nauseous all the time—and he couldn't hide it as well as Raine. You'd have thought _he_ was the one having the baby. I know it's rude to laugh at someone else's misery, but that was hilarious. What I mean to say is, you have two of the most loving parents I've ever seen so of course they'd have a precious child like you. And you've grown up into a fine young woman."

Leona couldn't help but smile at this. It all sounded like the complete truth. She imagined her father was a complete wreck during those nine months. It wasn't something that saddened her. To her it was proof to the kind of love her father and her mother had for her.

The two of them joined the other people. Now Leona picked up the last present and read the name aloud: Lucas. It was just from him and not her parents. Her mind briefly wondered what her parents had given her, but she was soon focusing on the present at hand which was surprisingly light yet rather large. This one was wrapped like a fortress, however, and she spent the longest on this one. She threw the waiting Lucas an annoyed look who only grinned mischievously at her. He must have studied how she liked to open her gifts and rudely taped it up far too securely. He'd never done so before.

Finally it was open and out peeked the cutest looking kitten she'd ever seen. Even though its fur was baby blue, it still took her a moment to realize it was a stuffed animal. Its eyes were a golden hazel and its form majestic—an exact replica of a standing kitten. She lifted it from the box as it were a real kitten and it had quite a bit of weight to it for a stuffed animal. She hugged it to her chest and she immediately fell in love with its softness, it was heavenly. Where oh where could Lucas have bought such a thing? It seemed expensive.

"This is…" For once she couldn't think of any of her stock phrases to use that would do it justice. She didn't have any stuffed animals; she'd never wanted one…until now. "It's…"

Her eyes were closed as her hand ran down the back of the creature, its fur running smoothly under her hand. Lucas had approached her by then.

"I…made it myself. Finding all the material, sewing it all together—it took a nice chunk of time. I hope…you like it. I know it's your favorite color."

Leona opened her eyes then and looked at Lucas fully. "This must have been a _lot_ of work, Lucas. This is…I can't describe it, but I love it." Her hand was still petting it. "I had no idea you could sew."

There was a slight blush on his face that he did not even attempt to hide. "Yeah, I do it from time to time when I'm bored. I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, don't let his modesty fool you," Cecil said standing away from the crowd and crossing her arms. She held a cheeky smirk. "When it comes to sewing, he's a guru and he does it _all_ the time not just when he's bored because he _enjoys_ doin' it. He spent months on that thing and pulled all-nighters too—

"Hey, that's enough!" Lucas said to her waving his hand at her. His cheeks were very red by then.

"I think that's wonderful!" Leona said.

"Y-you do?" Lucas asked.

"And here I thought you spent your days killing monsters and listening to music."

"W-wow, really?" he asked a little surprised. "Did I…give off that impression?" Then he shook his head. "Well, either way, I think my job is done. As long as you like it."

"I appreciate the time and effort you put into this…I will treasure it always."

Leona watched him walked away. Her opinion of him was beginning to change once again. She barely wanted to put the kitten down and then decided not to as her parents walked to her now. They stood a little ways from her and turned so they were looking at both her and the others.

"Everyone, we'd like to make an announcement," Raine said proudly. "We're not going to hide this for months and months like last time. I suppose it's a little late in the game, but I would like to say that I'm pregnant once again. It's been three weeks already."

She couldn't stop herself before she was shouting with joy. "So I'm finally going to have a sibling?!"

"Yes, Leona, your very own sister or brother," Raine said looking at her now with a smile.

Then everyone was asking her tons of questions, but Leona's question had already been answered. This was the best present she'd ever received.


	7. Extravaganza-Part 4

AN: I wanted this to be the last part to the birthday party, but it was getting really long so I'll simply put the last part in the next chapter. That one will likely be shorter. (And at least for this story, Korean Language = Elven language)

* * *

Chapter 7: Extravaganza-Part 4

Leona had barely calmed down from her previous excitement before a waiter rolled in the very generous birthday cake. The icing was white and blue and her name was scrolled across it in large elegant letters—it was quite beautiful. She knew the routine now as she saw the stack of plates and cutting knife nearby.

Although she wanted to give everyone the same size piece some would request for smaller or bigger and she obliged without question. There was no way she could finish the cake on her own anyway. She nearly dropped the plate when it came to Eros who smiled courteously at her—she couldn't stop herself from becoming nervous in his presence. If she looked at him, she would find herself staring and she did not want to give him anymore ammunition. Lucas, in his usual teasing manner asked for a bigger, but oh, not _that_ big piece. Ludovic was fine with any size piece she gave him. Cecil demanded a larger piece than Lucas' and Cathe politely asked for a smaller one as she barely had room for much more food. The adults were fine with the medium piece she usually cut much to her relief.

The cake eating didn't last long. By then, everyone was probably spent from all the eating from before and the room broke into quiet conversation. Leona could breathe a sigh of relief; she'd come to the end of her birthday. Even then, however, something seemed a bit off about the mood. Though everyone seemed calmed down, it was the kind of calm before the storm. Her father approached her when she finished off her piece of cake. The look on his face confirmed her sneaking suspicion. Something _else_ must have been planned. He could scarcely hold in his excitement. The conversation seemed to cease as well.

"We have another surprise for you and it requires that you be on stage," he said to her.

"Okay…" Leona said not sure if she should be excited or preparing herself for embarrassment. Her parents wouldn't set her up for failure, would they?

She looked to Lucas who was openly smiling.

"You're going to _love_ this," he said to her as she passed him. That didn't exactly ease her mind. He'd shown himself to be quite a devious person.

She walked with her father further back into the building until she thought she had entered some secret passage way. She realized she was behind the main stage of the main ballroom. Already she could hear quite the crowd out there. It was fascinating to her the sheer number of people that must have been there. Then she was behind dark curtains as a man spoke to the crowd and she realized that he was speaking about her and about the occasion. She listened intently now.

"…And it would be my honor to sing her favorite song to her."

_My favorite song…? But how do you know?_

Her mind flashed back to the time her father had casually asked her what her favorite song was. Music wasn't a subject they broached often, but at the time, it hadn't seemed odd at all. There were few songs that she liked in the first place. At least ones that had words, but there was one song that had struck a chord with her when she'd first heard it at a free concert her parents had randomly decided to attend. The man who had sang it had sounded so sweet and passionate that she was very nearly brought to tears when he was finished with it—and he was also easy on the eyes. It was in a different language—elven—but she was sure it had something to do with love.

"Come on out, birthday girl," the man said.

That was her cue. Her father gave her courage when she looked back at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. The song had a long intro sequence of soft piano and strings and she could hear it playing now as she stepped out on stage. It immediately placed her into a gentler mood. Then everyone was cheering. She bowed politely to the crowd.

"I hate to put you on the spot," the man said looking at her now, "but everyone thought you'd really enjoy this. Now, take a seat, I have a nice cushion-y chair all set for you."

She hadn't seen it before, but then the spotlight shown right on it and revealed it. She was pleasantly surprised. There was not much stage to go across before she was at the chair and sitting down. The man's shoulder length hair was a deep dark black and shined in the light. When he looked at her, his eyes were a startling blue and his smile seemed to come easy to him. His skin was like pearls and the lights made it even more so. Leona had no idea who this man was but he was going to sing to her and she sat in practiced patience for the ballad to begin.

He'd taken the mike off of the stand he'd been using before so that he could turn to look at her as he sang. She tried to keep her face as neutral as possible and prayed that this man didn't slaughter the only song she'd listened to more than once.

The song started quietly and sensually; the man's sugar sweet voice caught her by surprise. Though he didn't sound exactly like the original artist, it was close enough and it held the same emotion.

_Nae-ga giyeo-khae neomu sarang-haet-deon naye yeojaraneun geol giyeo-khae neomankeumeun__  
__Shi-gani chinado neoye sumkyeo-ri nama neol kanjikha-go machi naye pume ankyeoi-nneun geotcheoreom_

It was his habit to smile even as he sang and she found herself beginning to smile herself. There were certain nuances in the tone that the man included as well just like he was telling an especially engaging story. Then there it was; the beautiful hook that she did not understand and which he pronounced perfectly.

_Kkumil-jido molla neo-ye-ge jwot-deon yateun sang-cheo-ga  
Nae-ge juneun gipeun beo-ril-jido molla mianhaeseo han-chameul u-reoyo  
Al su eom-neun gose machi tto dareun sesange isseo nal chu-eo-ge beoryeo-nnayo  
Yeope isseodo neon nae-ge eom-neun geotcheoreom_

The strings began to play as a brief interlude between the verses. She was simply mesmerized when he moved towards her slowly and took up her hand indicating that he wanted her to stand. They were standing now one hand in the other and she could peer directly into his face. He was clearly caught up in the emotions invoked by the song—it was reflected in his expression: A slight crease of his eyebrows, his glassy eyes, and a more somber smile. The first part was soft and sweet and then gradually, the intensity of the poignant emotions increased. There was something oddly bittersweet about it and the man seemed well aware of all of these factors. His voice coaxed her into taking the journey through the song with him. The tone was so perfect and crisp that the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand and she stared at the man wide-eyed. She didn't want the song to end now.

_Ni-ga eom-neun gose deoneun meomu-lleo isseul su eop-seo_

_Dareun sarammajeo sarang-haneun ni-ga miwojil-kka han-chameul u-reoyo_

_Al su eom-neun gose machi tto dareun sesange isseo dareun sarangeul hanayo_

_Nae-ga eop-seodo neon haengbo-khaejil keotcheoreom_

In a word, it was breathtaking and he was singing _to_ her. The live music helped strengthen his performance as well. She could feel the sound reverberating off of her skin and his lovely voice weaving expertly through the instruments that were sometimes mellow and sometimes overpowering. At some points, he would look away from her and then to the crowd especially on parts where he really had to modulate his voice. He became so loud that his voice was all she could hear even with the live music. She didn't want to start tearing up in front of a complete stranger, but she could not help it. She watched as he revealed to her his heart and he was brave enough to do so. She thought she knew this stranger so well now. She thought she knew more about him than he did about her. The last few lines got her every time, they were done much slower and in a despondent yet hopeful tone.

_Al su eop-seo neowah…_

Then the soft piano finished it off in a few moments and ended with a satisfying chord. When he was finished, the crowd burst into a loud applause. Leona wondered vaguely if Clarion would have any clue the meaning of the song had she been here.

"Did you enjoy it, Lady Leona?" the man asked.

She didn't trust her own voice at this point and hoped that he wouldn't hand her the mike so that she could speak. She simply nodded to him. The man seemed to have a knowing look on his face.

"It has been an honor having you here tonight," he said bowing to her then. "Let's make this night a memorable one."

He placed the mike back on the stand and then guided her to the back of the stage where her father as well as her mother was waiting for her.

"See? You had nothing to worry about," her mother said to the man. "You might have mixed up a few lines, but anyone who knew Elven would still understand it."

He mixed up a few lines? She hadn't even noticed. It was an excellent performance either way…and did her mother actually _know_ this man? Looking at him now, he clearly was not elven. Would it be much of a stretch to assume that her mother had helped in learning the pronunciation?

"And Leona seemed to be having the time of her life," her father added.

"Maybe you should start covering more elven songs," her mother said with a grin.

"Ah, well, one is enough—that took me ages to figure out. But I suppose I wouldn't be completely opposed to it if you keep being my teacher."

Her mother seemed delighted by this.

"I'm just glad I could finally come to one of your birthday parties," he said looking at Leona now. "Sorry for missing _all_ of them."

"Wait…you're Linus?" she asked surprised.

"In the flesh. We should talk later, but for now…"

Leona noticed that the rowdy crowd had taken to chanting his name and it was becoming louder.

"the crowd is getting restless," he finished.

"Don't let us keep you," her father said.

Linus bowed to them once again and then Leona watched as he waltzed back on stage. He seemed to be a different person on stage energized, she realized, by the crowd itself. He spoke to them, asked them if they were having a good night, asked them if they were having fun—and don't worry "I know just the thing to get you started!"

By then, Leona was already walking back to the room she'd been in before. She was beginning to feel quite energetic—a rare mood of hers. No one had told her that an obvious famous singer (who she hadn't known about until now) would be performing at her birthday party. That would explain the real reason so many people had wanted to be invited. And she realized that she wanted to see his performance as well. So as soon as she got back, she wanted to go to the main ballroom. Even now, she could hear the guitars blaring and the echoes of his voice.

When she stepped out into the ballroom, the lights were dimmed and the room was alive with music and people dancing. She was sure Lucas and the others were already out there. For a moment, she was a little befuddled as to what to do next but then she started copying the dancing of those around her so that she could move through the crowd. There was still space enough for her to move about comfortably. She was sure there was a set number of people that had been invited and that only those would be able to enter. Leona imagined it could be far worse than this.

She found Cathe and Cecil first and she danced with them doing whatever her body felt compelled to do. She had no idea what song he was singing, but whatever it was everyone loved it and she had no qualms with it either. She could tell just from his voice alone that he too was having fun entertaining them. It was not a chore; it was something he clearly derived pleasure from. She danced with them for two songs before the twins found them and joined in. For some reason, they seemed to be settling into two separate groups—one that consisted of Zeph and the two sisters and then Eros and Leona. She wondered if they had set it up like this, but eventually she was dancing with Eros right when the high energy songs from before turned to something slower.

For once, she wondered where Lucas was, but he was nowhere to be found. She was not accustomed to this kind of slow dancing, but this was not a problem for Eros who directed her to the right position. She was far closer to him than she had anticipated and his arms were wrapped around her waist. Her hands were on his shoulders and she could witness his beauty up close. She wasn't sure how long she could handle this. Then there was Linus' voice which was so laden with emotion that it forced everyone into a certain mood. Her heart was beating a mile a minute—would anyone save her from his seduction?

He smiled gently at her almost teasingly as if he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked her.

For a moment, she hadn't even realized that he'd spoken to her. "Y-Yes, I am." _Please let this song be over…_

"I think this is my favorite song from Linus. Rarely does he touch on such topics of love. I suppose he doesn't want to alienate his audience too much."

For some reason, her mind had simply stopped working. She could not figure out anything to say to him. All she could do was continue to gaze—she doubted she had any expression at all.

"My, but you are so quiet all of a sudden."

The song seemed endless now. She could have sworn Linus was singing the same chorus several times in a row. What was she doing? Where was this going? She felt his hands slide down a bit further and she froze.

"I have to use the bathroom," Leona said at once backing away from him.

He seemed puzzled by this and before he could say anything more she turned and started making her way rapidly through the crowd. She wanted to be anywhere but there. There were too many people, it was far too crowded. Why was it suddenly so difficult to breathe? She looked behind herself as she moved and thankfully she did not see his pursuit. She hadn't the slightest clue where she was headed, but when she saw a set of stairs off to the side, she decided she would take it. There was a balcony that surrounded the dancefloor with more people loitering. Though there were fewer people, she still felt uncomfortable. Her eyes searched and then found another set of stairs leading upward. Quickly she took these and she found herself going up two sets of stairs before she entered the night air. Here there was no one; here she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Her eyes looked to the sky. The stars had just started to twinkle in the distance. She wasn't thinking about anything in particular. She simply enjoyed her respite however brief it might be, but no one ever came running up the stairs. Perhaps a few minutes had passed, perhaps a few hours, but after a while she was looking down at the view of the city she had been raised, Altamira, and all its bright lights. There was always something happening in the city from sunup to sundown.

"So this is where you are."

Leona was shaken from her reverie when she heard the voice. She was a little troubled by it as well and turned slowly to find Linus there now approaching her. Unconsciously, she breathed a sigh of relief—it wasn't Eros. He was just as bright eyed as she'd seen him on stage and his hair just as dark, but now that he wasn't surrounded by the bright lights, his ghostly skin seemed more natural and she could see a bit of moisture on his brow.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir. It was incredibly rude of me to simply leave like that. I—

But Linus was already waving a dismissive hand as he came to stand beside her. "I had no idea you left in the first place—it's alright you're not on trial."

"Sorry, but I did really enjoy your performance, sir. Is it over?"

"Ah, not quite—a brief intermission and then a few more songs. Then we can all call it a day."

"I see."

"You know, I'm only four years older than Lucas."

Leona wondered why he had brought up such a thing, but she was a little interested in people's ages. "And how old is Lucas?"

"16, last I checked."

"Oh," Leona said almost to herself. That would make Lucas older than her by three years. Now she was wondering about everyone else's age as well.

"I think this is the first time _anyone's_ called me 'sir'. I must really be getting old—or maybe I look that way to a girl such as yourself."

"Well," Leona said as she looked at him closer. "You're not as old as my dad."

Linus burst out laughing from this and Leona looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"No one's as old as your dad—no offense. But he does look awfully good for his age."

"People say that a lot."

"Well, it's true."

"Thank you. I'm sure my dad would appreciate such a compliment. I only used 'sir' as a show of respect, but I've noticed a lot people don't like being called that."

"It has a bad rep, I guess. Zelos always gets all bent out of shape when I do it to him."

Leona had to agree with the other there. She thought it was odd, but who was she to question her elders.

"A few moments ago when you first looked at me, you seemed afraid. Is there anyone bothering you?"

"Oh, no," she said quickly. There was no need to bring up something that was probably a misunderstanding. "You just startled me is all."

She had stopped looking at the man as she said this. She doubted she could to lie to anyone while looking them in the eyes. After a moment, he moved forward to the metal railings probably to get a better view of the scenery. He was a tall man, Leona noted. Perhaps even as tall as her father and he was lanky as well, but he appeared to have better posture than Lucas. In fact as she looked at him, he seemed to have nothing in common with anyone else in the family.

"Um…" she began breaking the comfortable silence, "Are you really Lucas' brother?" she asked despite herself.

"The way you said that just now—you have me wondering as well."

"What? You mean you don't know for sure?" she asked intrigued.

"I mean, think about it. We all just have to take our parents' word for it as far as origins go. It's not like any of us can _know_ if that's true or not. We don't remember our own births."

Leona's eyes widened at this as her mind took in the implications. "You're right…Now you have me doubting too…"

Then Linus laughed good naturedly, "You clearly look like both of your parents. There's no need to worry. Besides I've been raised as if we were brothers and that's all that matters."

"Really?" she asked as he so easily blew off such a serious topic. "But what if someone told you otherwise? What if you had hard proof to the contrary?"

Linus shrugged. "I wouldn't care," he said simply. "How about you? What if someone told you that your parents weren't really your parents?"

"Well," she said thoughtfully, "I wouldn't know what to think really. But I can't imagine my parents being anyone besides them…"

"Then your answer is the same as mine."

"I suppose it is."

"Such a wild tangent we're on. If you want to know, I dyed my hair this color. I lost a bet with Lucas, but it kinda grew on me. I think I'll keep it this way for a while yet."

"It looks…natural," Leona said encouragingly.

"Thanks, but enough about me. There was something really important that I wanted to tell you."

"Oh," she said a bit surprised. She hoped it wasn't anything bad.

He stood up and turned to her with a wide smile. "Happy Birthday."

_That's the important message?_ "Thank you."

"And I got something for you as well. I thought it would be better if I gave it to you myself."

He fumbled with something in his jacket pocket and as soon as he was able to fish the small wrapped box out, it slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground unceremoniously. She hoped there wasn't anything fragile inside.

"Sorry, I'm a bit clumsy," he said with a laugh as he picked it back up.

She wondered if it was nervousness on his part, but he didn't seem nervous at all. She held out her hand and he placed the box there—it fit in her hand perfectly.

"One last present to open," she said as she untied the ribbon on the box and promptly opened the lid.

Inside was a silver ring with delicate looking wings set on top of it. She wondered why it hadn't broken in the fall so she touched the wings gently with her finger and to her surprise it felt surprisingly durable and smooth. She couldn't imagine what it was made out of.

"It's beautiful," she said.

But what did it mean, she wondered. It was quite a beautiful ring from someone who was practically a stranger to her. She wondered wearily if she would have to deal with strange behavior from him as well…just like Eros. Her eyes saddened a little.

"Ah, but your face tells me something different. It's okay if you don't like it. It's pretty hard to hurt my feelings. I heard you can use magic just like your mom so I thought this would come in handy for you. It's called a Faerie Ring and it eases the strain from using such magic."

"I've never really had trouble when using magic only when Mom forces me to do a bit more than usual, but thank you. I think I'll put it on."

When she placed it on her finger, she immediately felt the effects of it. The ring itself somehow made her feel lighter, almost weightless. In some ways she felt more powerful as if she could pull off a plethora of light elemental spells and not feel the least bit fatigued. It was quite a rush. She wondered how he could have gotten his hands on such an object.

"Actually, this is amazing," Leona said.

"Is that a smile I see? I think I've succeeded then."

Her smile lessoned a little. She wondered if there was some ulterior motive. "Succeeded at what?"

The man laughed. "You sound so suspicious! You're supposed to be happy today. That's why everyone tells you happy birthday. I know it must be tough for you having to meet so many people at once, but I hope you were able to make some new friends today."

"Friends? I don't know about that," she said uncertainly.

"Well," he said, his smile broad now, "Why don't you start with me?"

"What?" she asked taken aback.

"I would love to be your friend."

"Oh, but…"

"How about it?" he asked.

"No," she said shaking her head. "It doesn't work like that."

"I get it—there's something I have to do, right? Like hop on one leg two times—

"N-no, nothing like that. It's just…" How was she going to explain herself to this man? If it was really this easy to make a friend, then she would have tons of them by now.

Now it was Linus' turn to look confused, but it was only for a moment. "Ah, that's alright. You won't mind if I call you _my_ friend, would you."

"I suppose I can't stop you," she said wearily.

"Great," he said with excitement.

Before she knew it, he had one arm wrapped around her neck and he had pulled her quite close almost as close as…She looked up at him in wonder, partially afraid, partially interested in what he would do next.

"See, that wasn't so bad, right? Now you can say that you made a new friend today." Then he released her and stood in front of her confidently. "Anytime you're feeling lonely just call on me. I guess I am kind of busy a lot, but I'll try my best."

"Okay," she found herself saying before she could stop herself. Could it really be _this_ easy? A smile played on her lips.

"I think it's time I headed back down. I'll come back when I'm finished, but you could be waiting for a while."

"Oh, I'll come with you," Leona said quickly. She did not want to be left alone.

"Are you sure? I kind of intruded on you and you really looked like you wanted time to yourself."

"I'm fine now, really," she said encouragingly to the other.

There was something about him that she could not describe, but she did not feel overly anxious around him and she didn't have to deal with constant teasing.

"Let's take the stairs, it's faster," Leona said before the other could go for the elevator.

She was already heading there even as she said this. It wasn't that she disliked elevators, but she was not altogether used to using them. The stairs seemed safer anyways. It wasn't until she reached the bottom of the first set that she realized the other was no longer nearby. She looked back up the stairs and saw the other at the very top looking down as if he was about to endeavor climbing down a particularly difficult cliff.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked in a raised voice so that he could hear her.

"I did say I was a bit clumsy…"

Leona was a little confused with this. "These are just stairs though. They're harmless. And there's railing."

"Ah, well…" he said slowly.

She watched as he gripped the railing with both of his hands and took two tentative steps until both his feet were on the first step. She wondered why he was moving so slowly. His entire demeanor had changed. He was more than just nervous.

"I suppose I'm acting kinda silly—these are just stairs just like you said."

"Just put one foot after the other and you'll be down here before you know it."

"You really think so? Do you believe I can make it down these stairs without—

"Don't say it. If you say it, then you'll be thinking about it. You have the rails. All you have to do is focus. I believe you can do this."

He hadn't moved a muscle even after a moment. Then he took a deep breath. "This is ridiculous; I've seen people climb down stairs a million times before…"

He glanced down at her and she made sure to give him an encouraging smile. Then he put one foot on the next step and then the next foot onto the same step. He didn't want to risk stretching one foot over the other to reach the next step; he simply did it the easiest way possible. Three steps took roughly three minutes. Even Leona was beginning to lose patience. Perhaps he should have taken the elevator. Didn't he have a performance he had to get to? At this rate, it might take him nearly thirty minutes to make it down to her and then he still had a few more set of stairs to go…

On the other hand, this seemed like something that needed to be done, like therapy of some sort. She'd never seen someone react such a way for a set of stairs. It was as if it was some sort of phobia. She didn't want to ask to confirm her suspicions while he was making such good progress. He took a deep breath every other step as if to calm a racing heart. Why was this such an ordeal? She wanted to shout more words of encouragement, but he might think that she was trying to rush him and besides she might break his concentration. She was so focused on watching Linus' descent that she did not hear another person come up the stairs until that person was standing beside her.

"Lucas?" she said a little surprised. She hadn't seen him for a while. Where had he been this whole time?

"What the hell are you doing?!" Lucas yelled angrily making her jump. Luckily, he had not been talking to her.

Linus had instantly froze there on the fifth step.

"Stop it, Lucas, he's trying to concentrate," Leona said.

He was shaking his head. "No, Linus isn't stupid enough to try this on his own." Then he was looking at her and she backed away a little from his angered expression. "Someone must have put him _up_ to it. Were you trying to get him killed or something?"

"Geez, Lucas, she doesn't know," Linus said from afar. He'd gained his voice once again. "I will not have you speaking to her like that. I decided I would do this on my own. Leona believes I would have no problem climbing down a measly set of stairs and I believe her."

"Oh, you do?" Lucas said darkly as he took one step towards the other. "Did you forget what happened before?"

"No, of course not, I can never forget that. But that's in the past."

"And what can happen in the past can happen again," Lucas said back.

"I don't believe that," Leona said interjected. "He's right, I don't know what happened, but Linus seems to be doing fine right now."

"Brother, I can do this…just wait down there, alright?"

"I can't do that," Lucas said forcefully. "I simply cannot. Don't you dare take another step."

To Leona's dismay, Linus did just this. He was looking down at his feet clearly frightened now and he seemed paler than usual.

"How can you say that?!" Leona said now angry at Lucas' back. "He was doing _fine_ before!"

"You don't understand, Leona," Lucas said in a surprisingly calmer tone though there was still force behind it, "I am responsible for his wellbeing. Dad made me in charge of making sure everyone is safe." He was climbing the steps now slowly, "There was a time when Linus decided to go down a harmless set of stairs and before I could ever hope to catch him, he fell down those stairs and broke his bones in several places, one of which left him paralyzed. He nearly died that day and there had been nothing I could do. He'd been scraped in so many places that as far as bandages went, I had no idea where to start. I watched him suffer even while I was supposed to take care of him." His voice had begun to waver then.

"That's enough," Linus interrupted the other, "You've said enough."

Lucas had made it to the other's position and without further ado lifted the other effortlessly over his shoulder and put him back on the very top. Leona decided she would climb up as well.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly when she met them at the top, "I had no idea."

"There's no need to apologize," Linus said to her and he smiled at her as if the mood was still bright and sunny.

"Your mother came and healed him up a few days later. Without her, I'm not sure where my brother would be right now. You were much younger then…maybe she never told you about it," Lucas said.

_Or maybe I'd elected to forget what I thought was trivial_ she thought despondently. Could she really be that cold of a person?

"My brother…he's accident prone," Lucas continued, "It's one of the reasons why he could never make it to your birthdays, but he always wanted to come and meet you."

"Oh, I see now," Leona said with a nod. Then she thought about him on stage, he seemed perfectly normal there. In fact, she'd not seen any sign of this trait until now. "But what about when you perform? You seemed normal up there and there's all those wires…"

"The stage is different," Linus explained, "I feel different there…I feel in control. I just never do anything stupid like that when I'm performing."

"It's not stupid," Leona reminded the other. "It's an issue you have and I think with practice, you can overcome it."

"Thank you," Linus said with a wary smile.

Lucas frowned at this and then looked to Leona. "If I find my brother hurt or incapacitated by your meddle, you will have to deal with me personally."

"Alright, papa," Leona said rolling her eyes.

"Hey! What did you call me?"

"I think she called you an old fuddy duddy," Linus said with a grin. "I don't blame her either. C'mon let's take this elevator before I never make it down there on time."

Linus was walking ahead of them. Leona was not about to take back what she said as she looked at him challengingly. Finally, he shrugged and then followed the other into the elevator. Leona arrived last. She hadn't realized how far up they were until the door closed and the small room started moving downward for a long while. She noticed as Linus leaned against the metal wall with crossed arms; his eyes were closed as if in deep thought.

"Will you be alright for your performance?" Leona asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine," he said lazily without even bothering to open his eyes.

But Leona was unconvinced by this response. He seemed a bit out of it. If she had known better, she might have saved the "therapy session" for later.

"Don't worry about him," Lucas said, "He likes to meditate beforehand."

"That sounds sensible," Leona said with a nod.

"You sound pretty concerned for a complete stranger," Lucas noted out loud.

"Oh," she said after a moment, "Well, we're friends."

"Of course," Lucas said with obvious sarcasm, but he did not expound.

The elevator ride seemed to take forever. When they finally stepped off, they were greeted by two burly men in suits. Linus knew them much to Leona's relief.

"Everything's fine," Linus said to the concerned looking men, "I'm all in one piece."

Leona wondered if they should still follow him as he went with the man, but Linus gestured for them to keep up so they did. There was a room very near the elevator that they entered. The guards were told to stand outside—something that Leona suspected that he did often.

"So, I was thinking, we should totally do something tonight with everyone else. I mean it's been forever since we could all meet up in one place like this," Linus said, his voice full of excitement.

"When you say everyone, you mean…" Leona began wearily.

"That would be the ones you saw at your dinner. Those crazy people," Lucas confirmed.

"What exactly were you thinking of doing?" Leona asked despite herself.

"Nothing too crazy. I'm sure we're all tired out from today especially you. I was just thinking of hanging out relaxing when it's just us and not a million other people. There's this really nice hotel that just opened up around here—I bet you already know about it, right?"

Leona shook her head no.

"Even better. There's all sorts of stuff to do there and then we could all spend the night—it'll be like a sleepover."

"A sleepover?" Leona said thoughtfully, "I've never done anything like that before."

"Well, this could just be your first time. Maybe you'll like it. Never know unless you try."

"Alright," she said after a moment. She didn't want to be responsible for dashing the other's enthusiasm even if she thought the entire ordeal unnecessary. Besides, she could tell that he really wanted her to come. "Let's do it."

He smiled broadly again. "Great. We'll all meet up on that balcony when the day here is done. See you in a bit!"

Before she could even think to say anything else, he was already off. She'd almost forgotten that he still had a performance to do. Her mind had become wrapped up in the thought of what awaited her at this get-together. Just when she thought the day was almost over. Leona followed Lucas out of the room that ultimately led to the stage and was out on the second floor that sat a little ways above the first floor. They could look down at the main stage with no problem and there were fewer people here. Also, Leona noted, there was no Eros.

Leona looked down to see if she could spot any of their friends. She thought she saw two maroon haired ladies who looked a lot like Cecil and Cathe sitting down and chatting with a dark haired youth she assumed was Zeph. Ludovic was nowhere to be found. For some reason she knew when she spotted Eros and he was surrounded by women. Embarrassed, she looked away from this.

"Like what you see?" Lucas asked returning to his usual teasing tones.

It was as if he knew what she'd been looking for. "What does it matter to you?" she replied haughtily.

"I saw you go running upstairs like someone was coming to get you."

"You saw everything?" she asked, "And you did nothing?"

"Did you want me to follow you?" he asked a little confused. "Seemed like you wanted to be alone. I guess crowds just aren't for you."

_Then maybe he didn't see everything…_ "No, nevermind. You were right, I wanted to be left alone. Where were you anyway?"

"You know how I like to be really close to the stage—that's where I was. I think I lost everyone in the shuffle, though, so I went back eventually. I'll stay here this time. My poor ears can barely stand anymore loudness today—they're still ringing."

Leona giggled at this. "That's what you get. One day you're going to go deaf standing that close all the time."

"I've already resigned myself to that fate. Not to worry."

The performance started out with a song that everyone clearly knew because as soon as Linus stepped out on stage and the music started everyone was shouting once again and Lucas had a knowing look on his face.

"I think that's a great way to end the night," Lucas said nodding his head.

Leona simply listened and found herself enjoying every bit of the song and then the next one. Finally, Linus ended his performance with a moderately fast song—one that wasn't too slow or too fast. It wouldn't surprise Leona if Lucas knew all the words to all the songs, but he made no attempt at singing them much to her relief. She wanted to hear Linus and his wondrous voice so full of life and excitement.

* * *

AN: If you want to hear the song Linus sang to Leona check it out on Youtube. The artist name is Kim Jaejoong and the song is called "Living Like A Dream". The translation can also be found on the web as well. It actually is a bittersweet song. I heard it a long time ago and thought so as well, but I didn't read the translation until recently. Emotions sometimes speak louder than words I guess.

**Christa1989: **First of all, I have no idea what your favorite pairing is. I'm dying to know. Also, I've never seen them as related to one another. They come from two different worlds and really their personalities are pretty much opposite of one another except for a few commonalities. Raine is a very strict woman who is older than her years due to the circumstances of her life. She puts a lot of value in logic; she's pretty much a scientist. Yet, on the other hand, she's a very caring individual, but only when it comes to certain people (her brother/friends). Regal is not at all ruled by logic, but by emotions. One might even call him a bit rash. Sometimes he even throws logic out the window. Yet, on the other hand, he isn't rash at all. He always thinks before he does something. Just from living, in general, he seems to have a great deal of wisdom. And, of course, he's a gentleman above all. And if he wasn't so stuck on Alicia…a lady's man as well. Raine sucks at cooking. Regal is superb at cooking. Raine had to struggle in her youth and did not come from money—Regal did not struggle and he comes from money. The list can go on and on.

They are so separate that the _only_ reason they would have met is through the circumstances created by the videogame. One lived in Sylvarant and the other in Tethe'alla…Do I need to tell you how opposite attracts?

They are both multifaceted people and they often contradict themselves, they complete each other.

Sorry for this long response, but I see this complaint ALL the time about Regal/Raine…and I don't get it. For Lloyd/Colette and Zelos/Sheena go watch the anime. Genis/Presea is obvious enough. (I don't mind other couples as well, but if these pairs were different, I'd probably have to bring in an OC or two.) I like Regal/Raine the most, however. Lloyd/Sheena isn't something that's exactly common and I'd have to dive more into convincing the audience about that one. Colette/Zelos could also work (maybe), but I run into the same problem there. Some people even put Regal with Presea (which I hate, but I can see how this works). This story isn't about convincing people of odd couples or trying to convince people of "normal" couples either. These pairings are simply fact in this story and I don't go into much detail about how it ended up that way.


	8. Extravaganza-Final

AN: And finally the birthday bash draws to a close...

* * *

Chapter 8: Extravaganza-Final

Leona had agreed to Linus' plan so quickly that she had neglected to ask her parents, but when she did, they had no qualms about it. She supposed she should have already known their answer. If it was true what Lucas had told her before, they wanted her to be more independent. Still, it saddened her that they had agreed so readily as if they were no longer worried for her wellbeing.

She hadn't heard about the new hotel, but she knew about it now when she beheld its grand scale. It looked like some kind of expensive resort and Linus was paying for all of them to stay that night. There would be three rooms—one for the girls and two for the boys as there were more of them than girls. Cecil was used to sleeping with Cathe and Leona did not want to be left out. One look at the ridiculously large rooms, however, and no one was really upset about the arrangements.

She avoided Eros as a matter of principal. She simply did not want to deal with him. However, he made no advances whatsoever towards her. In fact, he seemed completely relaxed as if he wasn't the slightest bit concerned with her. Did he do this purposefully? But she knew too little about people to determine that just from looking at him. To discover her answer, she'd have to speak to him directly and she did not want to bother with that.

The place was so large with so many things to do that their group wound up splitting up since they could not all decide to do just one thing at once. Instead they decided they'd meet back up in an hour's time so that they could really hang out. Eros and Zeph opted to go to the pool area. Leona hadn't understood Lucas' snide "Of course" comment, but then she thought of all the women that would be there in their swimsuits…Truly boys who had only one thing on their minds. Cecil and Lucas found that they both had the same idea of checking out the recreational room. The way they looked at each other, Leona imagined it would be intense competition rather than recreational. Ludovic just wanted to explore and then Linus opted to go with him because he didn't want his little brother doing such a thing on his own. Then Leona decided she'd do anything Cathe wanted to do since they were of the same mind on certain things—they would check out the shops.

"This place is amazing!" Cathe said enthusiastically.

Leona found that she liked the other's enthusiasm. It balanced her naturally somber one. Despite it being her birthday, she could count on her fingers how many times she'd actually been enthused. Since Linus wasn't physically with them, his infectious good mood did not affect her at the moment.

"It's like a small city in itself. Granted, I haven't been to a lot of hotels…but this is just impressive," she gushed.

"I've actually never seen anything like this," Leona agreed.

The hallways they walked down were immense. The ceiling seemed unfathomably far away. This really was a mammoth establishment. She wondered how she missed all news relating to something that must have taken a lot of time and effort to construct—it was a testament to her obliviousness of the outside world. She knew only what was taught in textbooks and what she read for pleasure. Everything else was yet to be discovered.

They found a flower shop first.

"It's rather late for something like this to be open…" Leona commented and Cathe readily agreed, but this did not stop them from going in to investigate.

She felt as if she had stepped into a garden, though one that was lacking somewhat in genuine nature. The soft, earthy smell of the flowers hit her nose and she breathed it in, then let out a satisfied sigh. The smell was intoxicating. It was even stronger than her own garden.

"I wish my entire house smelled like this," she said closing her eyes.

"It's subtle yet strong at the same time. I like it," Cathe agreed with her.

They window-shopped. They weren't planning to buy anything at all. On Leona's part, she didn't have any more room in her personal garden and Cathe could not take a delicate flower with her on her way back home. Perhaps a seed would fare better, but Cathe didn't want to bother with that. Though she liked the idea of having an honest garden, she had no interest in starting a garden all on her own.

The clothing store was next as it was right across from them. Unlike the previous place, there were actually patrons in this one. Cathe immediately bounded over to a red dress that she'd been eying in one of her catalogs, the very same one that'd been on her wish list. The silk, embroidered sleeves were what attracted her to them every time and Leona had to agree.

This would have been too fancy for her birthday, Leona thought. In fact, too fancy for anything she'd ever attended so, of course, Cathe didn't have a specific occasion in mind. It was beautiful and so it should be worn at some point—Leona was sure this was the other's thought patterns.

They continued further into the store and ran into a multitude of dresses that caught their fancy, but they also found shirts and bottoms alike. Leona had to stop herself from buying something outright. Everything in the store corresponded to the upcoming summer season and most products seemed to have superior, high class taste. These weren't clothes one would simply "throw on" and even the camisoles were made from the richest of materials

There was a pastry shop and at that point, Leona finally gave in and purchased two chocolate éclairs for them. The taste was heavenly, the bread soft and moist. The entire shop smelled dizzyingly sweet. Despite having cake and various other homemade desserts earlier this day, she secretly enjoyed this indulgence the most. She vaguely thought about challenging her father to make something as good as this. Maybe. Baking wasn't exactly his forte, but that wouldn't stop him from trying…Someday when she felt he had the time and they were bored, she would bring him here and watch his reaction. This was, by far, the best pastry shop she'd been to. How odd that it didn't have its own building and was beholden to a hotel?

For reasons unknown, there was a grocery shop and Cathe and Leona spent a good chunk of time in there. Leona learned the most about Cathe's family life. They'd pass by an item and she'd comment on how they would wound up using it. Colette was the one who could theoretically cook, but Cathe admitted to learning and knowing how to cook for as long as she could remember. That was the case for all her siblings. They were taught how to do chores immediately, washing clothes, drying them, ironing them, cleaning various parts of the house, cleaning the outside of the house, keeping the lawn looking nice, and cooking. Everyone had to cook and there was a set schedule. Cathe couldn't remember the last time she'd actually seen her mother cook, but she was certain she knew how.

Leona found it amusing that little Lucas would be in the kitchen cooking up an entire dinner for such a large family. It didn't seem so strange then that somewhere along the way he acquired the skills of sewing. Everyone knew how to sew to some varying degree, Cathe explained to her when Leona asked about it, but Lucas had a knack for it and it became a bit of a running joke. Anything that needed to be mended would somehow become his responsibility to do because he did it "so much better than anyone else." And it was quite easy to guilt trip him into doing such activities. Claim that you didn't want to look raggedy in front of other people, you'd be so embarrassed, or really pack on the sympathy points and tell him about some real or made-up incident that occurred due to shoddy sewing work. Cathe was clearly amused by this.

Whoever cooked didn't have to do the dishes that day and there was a schedule for everyone to do the dishes at some point in the week. The only time that her parents did any actual work in the house was when one of the kids were sick. Surprisingly, that didn't occur very often.

"That's actually quite practical," Leona said with a bit of surprise in her voice. Colette hadn't struck her as a very practical person.

She taught them important life skills of how to live on their own when the time came pretty early on so such knowledge was second nature. Leona wondered how schooling worked in their family.

"It's a struggle," Cathe claimed. "None of us are all that good at it. Well, everyone except Lucas. That's why their dad put him in charge of things when none of the adults were around even when Linus still lived with them and he was the oldest. He pretty much tutored everyone on a regular basis to the point that there was actual time set aside for it. I swear if it wasn't for him, I might have had to repeat a grade…"

"Having Lucas for a tutor must have been trying," Leona said with a short laugh.

"Not really," Cathe said with a raised eyebrow. "Way better than the ones at school. I don't know, he just explains things really well in a way that I can understand, at least. And he's always so encouraging and nice—and best of all, really patient. I raise my hand too much at school and all the teachers are so tired of me. I feel kind of bad about it, but Lucas, I know he'll answer any question I have about anything if he knows the answer."

"Wait a minute, we're talking about _Lucas_ here, right?" Leona said a little confused. "The guy who's favorite pastime is teasing me to death and who has a thing for sarcasm."

Cathe looked at her thoughtfully and then put an index finger in the air when she figured something out. "Well, you know how everyone has different sides? You must have really pissed him off at some point. He has a bad habit of holding grudges for a long time, but…well, that couldn't be it. He gave you that cat." Then she shrugged. "Sometimes even I can't figure him out." In the same breath, she clicked her finger. "He _totally_ likes you, that's it! He started out liking you, then you must have did something to piss him off royally, then you must have like apologized or something at some point and then he's all confused about it because of the whole 'holding grudges' thing. But then he's always liked you so that explains the cat! It's perfect, right?"

"Cathe, you're not making any sense anymore," Leona said in a strained voice.

"Don't worry, that happens from time to time when I talk," she said with a laugh.

"I guess so. But the part about people having different sides, I think that explains it. It's only natural that one should act differently to their own family than to a complete stranger."

"Wait, are you a complete stranger?" Cathe asked.

"Well, no, well sort of. Enough of a stranger to count."

"Oh," Cathe said wide eyed. "We have to change this immediately! Let's be friends already!"

"You want to be…my friend?" Leona asked quizzically.

"Yeah, of course, silly! It's been fun hanging out with you and I've been to _all_ of your birthday parties. Besides, I totally need people to have girl's night out sometime."

Leona smiled then. "That does sound fun. Alright then, let's be friends from here on out."

Cathe was smiling as well. "Good. Now let's raid some more late night open stores!"

Leona had to admit that she had a blast going through the shops, but they didn't manage to get to all of them before they had to head back after an hour. The hour had felt like half of one as far as Leona was concerned. She'd enjoyed herself so much with Cathe that she was less inclined to meet back up with everyone and deal with so many people and personalities at once. Cathe didn't seem perturbed, however, so she wouldn't be either. In fact, she seemed quite excited about the prospects of the remainder of their night.

They met on the top floor. Whatever beef that Cecil and Lucas had with each other seemed not to be resolved at all and they barely spared each other a passing glance.

"Looks like they had loads of fun," Cathe said aloud in a cheery voice

Leona wondered if that was sarcasm, but she suddenly realized that Cathe was being dead serious. She only received "hmph"s from both of them. Lucas looked at Cathe now.

"As usual, your good mood appears unblemished—quite a feat with the likes of our little princess," he said.

"Excuse me—_little?_" Leona said with a frown. His insults knew no bounds.

"Oh, then you're a _big_ princess?" Lucas said back without skipping a beat.

She sighed exasperatedly, "Somehow that sounds worse." Leona wished there was something she could do with that little triumphant smirk on his face.

Soon Linus and Ludovic joined them and their good mood rivaled that of Cathe's.

"This place is crazy big," Linus said, "I'm sure Ludovic and I barely scratched the surface as far as exploring goes. We didn't run into any of you guys."

Leona caught Lucas looking at his older brother with scrutinizing eyes—an odd behavior in itself, but then stopped when he noticed her watching. Leona gave him a questioning look, but he was sooner ignoring her.

The twins took their time arriving. A bit more than fifteen minutes had passed before they sauntered into their little gathering and they seemed as beautiful as ever. Leona was again avoiding Eros' gaze, but she had to admit that she was itching to look into those shimmery emerald orbs.

"Alright!" Linus said with infectious excitement. It did wonders with lightening her darkening mood. "Who's ready for some elevator tag!"

"I'll be it!" Cecil said raising her hand immediately, "No one will escape me."

Linus' smile became slightly worried. "Let's choose someone who won't turn this into some kind of all out battle…"

"Hey!" Cecil said clenching one fist. "This is tag, we have to take this seriously."

"There's no prize at the end," Linus reasoned with her, "And it's far too late for the kind of energy you want to put into this."

"I'll be it," Lucas said. "On account of using elevators as opposed to just running off—I'll count to thirty."

When he turned and started counting, there was no longer any discussion and they were all running off at once. Leona found herself caught up in the moment. She'd seen several elevators and the hotel had 21 floors. She noted where the others were going and went a different way. For some reason, the floor number 17 stayed in her mind. She quickly stepped into the first elevator she saw after she was out of sight of the others and automatically went to that floor.

Now that she was alone, she could calmly assess the situation. She decided she would explore the entire floor to see how many other elevators there were. In a matter of ten minutes, after sprinting down every hall, she found two other sets of elevators. This was a residential section and all she could see for miles were doors after doors. The best place she could hide behind were tables and corners.

She stayed on this floor for nearly an hour and finally decided that she should visit other floors. Perhaps Lucas simply hadn't gotten to this floor, perhaps he wasn't it any more. Maybe she was missing all the action on another floor. She went to floor ten and stayed there for a while—another residential area. Thirty minutes passed and then she went to floor five. There she found an arcade. At this late of night, the room was dark, but all the lights from the machines lit up the entire area. She'd heard of such places, but she'd never been to one. There were still people here, kids her age, and the area was filled with odd little noises. Her curiosity won out and she walked in to further investigate what all the excitement was.

She'd no sooner made two steps in when she spotted one of the twins. She knew immediately that he was Eros on account of how his hair was styled. From where she was standing, she couldn't see his face, but she could make out the female's face. In her opinion, she seemed a bit…older. Nonetheless, she was still pretty in her own right with her dark eyes and long, dark hair and she seemed to have her full attention on Eros. Leona could only imagine what they were talking about. There was a twinkle in her eyes and she seemed in an obvious good mood. She couldn't hear them over all the background noise, but there was no mistaking what she saw next. Leona watched as they kissed. It was long and passionate and try as she might, she could not look away. In fact, she was quite surprised with the entire scene. It made little sense to her. Why had he done those things to her only to engage in similar activities with another woman?

"Eros…!" She covered her mouth, unable to stop herself.

Before she knew it, she was looking at him directly, those piercing green eyes gazing straight through her. It was as if timed slowed. His face was expressionless, unreadable. Then that moment was interrupted when the woman he'd been kissing forcefully turned his face back to her and smacked him clean across the face. She was beyond displeased with him and eventually stormed off in frustration. Eros didn't even begin to pursue her. In fact, his attentions were on her again. Leona decided at that moment that she'd overstayed her welcome and ran off before anything else would happen. Was he angry with her? Had she royally screwed something up for him?

She found an elevator and went to any floor that wasn't that one—13. When there, she realized that it was another residential floor and she hid behind the first table she saw. She took a deep breath and simply sat down beside it waiting for something to happen, anything. She'd stopped looking at the time and had no idea how much time had passed before she found her eyelids drooping in sleepiness. How late was it? With a sigh, she stood up once again. Surely their tag game must have ended and she'd seen no action at all. Everything was quiet.

She didn't want to think about anything right now. All she wanted was a nice bed to rest in—she'd been up since early that morning and the day still hadn't ended for her. She decided she would simply retire to her room, to heck with everything else. Their rooms were on the topmost floor side by side. Tiredly, she trudged down the long hall, used her keycard and entered her room.

"Finally…"

Cecil and Cathe would sleep together. Leona would sleep on her own much to her relief. No sooner had she climbed atop her bed, she was closing her eyes. Yet her tired mind did not want to rest just yet. Instead, she began to slowly retrace the day's events. Why did it feel like such a chore? Why had it felt like a week had passed when it had only been a day?

She sat up with a start, when she heard the door to the room open. She was expecting to see either Cecil or Cathe. She'd have to explain to them why she'd abandoned them so wantonly and with little regard to anyone else. She wondered if Cathe would be angry with her and that troubled her the most. She hated the idea of making a friend only to lose them on the very same day. But it was neither of them who opened the door at that moment.

"Eros…? How did you…?"

He wore a grin as if he reveled in her confusion. "I told Cathe that I'd left something in here. The silly girl lent me her keycard without much provocation at all. Somehow I knew you'd be here. The day must have surely been long for our reticent lady."

"Why are you here?" Leona asked gathering her wits. She could not even turn her face away, those eyes of his had trapped her in place.

"There are many reasons, my lady. I do grow weary of your games."

"My games?"

"Yes. You've been avoiding me as of late. I suppose I can understand why, but it is quite unnecessary. I do _not_ force myself upon hesitant women—it would be a complete waste of time."

Her cheeks were burning now and she could not turn away. She was sure he could see all of it. Her breath caught in her throat when he stepped closer to her bed.

"So you needn't worry about my intentions for you—I have none."

"What you're trying to tell me is that you're completely uninterested in me now."

Eros gave her a full smile then. "Now you're putting words in my mouth. I will always have an interest in you, but I will not act on such things as I said before. Of course, should your feelings ever change…"

"How would you know, if I never tell you?"

"Ah, yes, you're quite fond of keeping things close to the chest. Make no mistake, I can read you like an open book despite your efforts. Your mind tells you one thing and your heart tells you another. Your mind and body remain hopelessly imbalanced."

_Imbalanced? What is he going on about?_

"In the meantime, I will continue what I do best. I will not intrude upon your personal space, I only ask that you show me the same courtesy else I'll be receiving many more crisp slaps."

"What was she to you?" Leona asked mystified.

"A beautiful lady who would soon make my night."

Leona still didn't understand what he was saying and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"To be painfully obvious: we were going to fuck each other's brains out."

Leona gasped from his unsubtle language. Eros turned from her then releasing her from his spell. He moved towards the door and opened it now. His other hand was placed on the light switch. She'd forgotten to even turn it off before she'd climbed into bed.

"Now lie down. I wish you a most restful night, my exhausted angel."

The last thing she saw as he cut off the lights were his long, curly locks. Then she heard the door click shut. Her mind could not fully fathom Eros, but she was sure she'd not disclose such a conversation to her parents. She assumed they'd be none too pleased with it. But then she had freedom to make such choices. And anyway, she no longer felt frightened of him, but she would have to keep her guard up. She thought of nothing more before her body had finally had enough and shut down completely.

* * *

AN: So, yes, much shorter than I think all my other chapters, but it was just as fun to write. Now that most of the characters in the story have been "introduced" I think it's time for some adventurin'. Already working on the next chapter. Stay tuned.

**Romina78: **I hear ya, I was pretty sheltered as well. High School was a big deal for me-it felt a lot like this birthday party except is was longer and way more drawn out. Ah, so you knew there was going to be another child (oh, no-she totally picked up on all that foreshadow!). I'm not sure what "sketch" version is, but it is a bit episodic...

**StarlightDiamond: **The problem with Regal/Presea is that I've never seen it as a healthy relationship. Of course, there's always a chance that it could turn out differently, but realistically (can I use that word when talking about fictional people?lol) it would be rather unfulfilling for both. Even if it was an accident and there was really no other choice, Regal was the one who physically murdered her sister. That's a little...awkward and probably always going to be a mood-killing subject. Secondly, clearly Presea reminds Regal almost all the time of Alicia, the same woman which canonly he's never gotten over. He's still in love with her and hasn't fully moved on. So what's the best way for him to get past that death? Hook up with Alicia's near carbon copy? Even if Regal actually saw Presea as someone other than "the woman who reminds him of Alicia" and as a completely different person, she still will _look _like Alicia and the reminder will always be there. I think it would be more traumatizing than healthy. Maybe you're okay with this, but Presea would definitely be dating her sister's leftover...And if they had another sister and Presea died somehow, he then moves on to her? (Just move through the whole family, will ya)

I don't have a problem with age difference if they're both adults. But there's more than just that. There's a physical developmental discrepancy. She's a twelve year old girl and who knows if she's even started menstruating...I'd suggest waiting five more years before doing anything more...erm...physical. Really, the thought of 30+ year old guy banging a 12 year old looking girl is hilarious (only because mentally she's 28, otherwise it'd just be wrong). If this is actually condoned, it'd be like condoning any 12 year old to hook up with much older guys because she's "mature" enough for it and that's just a slippery slope from there.

The circumstances is just all wrong is all I'm saying. Thanks for taking the time out to review. Nice to know that you like the direction of the story. The couplings were admittedly decided a bit for convenience sake, but they also make some sense. We'll never know how it all "should've" ended up like, but here is my take.

**Christa1989: **You know, I forgot Raine was borne in Tethe'alla, but really she spent a good deal of her life in Sylvarant. Elves are distinctly separate from humans. Their village is surrounded by a dungeon forest. You have to have written permission from the king to even enter the place if you're human. Why would Regal ever be in a situation that demanded that he visit Heimdall? I'm not even sure if he knew where it was in the first place. I think my problem here is that I've not imagined Regal Bryant with any family members like that. He never talks about his parents, aunts, uncles, or anything like that. I always thought that was strange. We just know that he comes from a rich family and that he has little to no contact with the Bryants (if there are any besides him).

Raine/Zelos? I have a shocked face on right now. At least the ages are closer together. Zelos really likes _any_ female he comes in contact with so I take his reaction upon first meeting her with a grain of salt. Such comments are so typical from him that it was even integrated into the game where you can get items from most females like he's some item/money pimp or something. I'm not saying it's a bad couple, but Zelos needs to be with someone who fully captures his attention else that relationship is doomed to fail. Raine is a great woman and pretty no-nonsense, but she won't be putting up with Zelos' games at all. Maybe a more mature Zelos might make this work out. Raine/Zelos = rocky relationship...at least in my opinion.

And thanks for telling me about your brother. Now there's guaranteed to be some Sheelos in the next chapter!


	9. To the Tournament

Chapter 9: To the Tournament

Since all the excitement of her birthday, her normal life had begun to feel a bit dull. Somehow she knew after she said her goodbyes to everyone especially Linus, she was likely not going to experience anything that got her pulse racing for a long time afterwards. She also felt oddly despondent.

She often found herself going out into the flower garden and simply staring up into the sky as if she was truly fascinated by it. The sky was limitless. The sky had no bounds. It was everything that she wasn't yet her parents had compared her to it many times before.

"It smells beautiful out here."

Leona turned to look back at her ever radiant mother. "Oh, hi, Mom, I hadn't realized you'd gotten back already."

"Well, this is the same time I always get back."

Her mother made her way towards her and then sat down on the same bench. For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them, but this wasn't something completely out of the norm. Ofttimes, they'd have nothing at all to say to one another, but this time the silence did not last for long.

"How was your day?" her mother asked.

"The same," Leona said with a sigh.

"Something tells me you aren't too please about that."

"No, no, I'm fine. It has been a pleasant day."

"You'd let me know if it was otherwise, right?" she asked.

"Of course," Leona replied.

"Well, alright, I'll be in the den if you need anything."

Leona watched the other leave and then returned her gaze to the sky. She wondered what that had been about. There were many days in which her mother would return home and she'd not hear from her all day. It was obvious to her that her mother was concerned about something, but she had not bothered to tell her what. She was likely to remain out here for hours and hours until someone called her in for supper. She'd not done anything significant that day aside from attending the last day of school. She was relieved not to have worry about school for a few months.

Just then, she heard the faint sounds of someone knocking on the door. She decided she would answer since her mother was not likely to do so. Her mother could become quite consumed with her work. Besides, she was curious as to who would be knocking. They rarely received visitors and her parents had not told her of anyone coming. She made her way through the screen door all the way to the front. When she looked through the peephole, she was pleasantly surprised to see a certain spikey blonde haired youth standing there on the porch. He was by himself.

"Why, hello," Leona said as soon as she opened the door revealing Lucas.

"Hullo, princess," he replied with a grin.

Leona let that slide. She was far too overcome with curiosity and joy that someone should be at her door specifically to see her or so she assumed.

"And what brings you here today?"

His grin turned into a smile. "You're going to _love_ this. I've entered you, me and two others into a tournament that's going to occur in a weeks' time."

"You what?" Leona asked flabbergasted.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he continued.

"Oh, well, sure," she said as she stepped aside and allowed him entrance. She closed the door and turned to him. "Now, what's all this about a tournament?"

"It's one that always held in Meltokio around this time. My sisters can't be bothered with such things, especially not Cecil who wouldn't lift a finger to help me in anything. So I usually just drag those libido twins along and find some random fourth straggler to join. There's a nice sum of money for the prize and I could _really_ use it, you know, for the summer."

"So I'm now the fourth straggler?"

Lucas turned to her then. "I wouldn't call you a straggler. You can use magic, right? This would be a piece of cake for you."

"I can use magic, yes, but I can do more than just that. In fact, magic is a last resort. I was in a dress that time and I didn't want to mess it up. Now why in the world did you enter me into a tournament without asking my permission first?"

"Hmmm…good question. It was just timing. I'd forgotten to ask you before and I didn't have much time after I returned home to send in the application. With a full set of members made initially, we're entitled to more of the prize. You could say no, but you'd really be missing out."

"Assuming that I _like_ tournaments and fighting people."

"Well, do you?"

"I enjoy training with my dad."

"As do I. Then it's settled."

"Wait…but, I'm not dressed for the occasion and I have to talk to my parents and…"

"Not to worry," Lucas said nonchalantly, "I'll talk to them—

"But my dad isn't here. It's just Mom."

"Do you want to come or not?" Lucas asked her.

"Well, yes. It sounds interesting."

"Then go get dressed. I'll talk to your mom, no problem. Besides, it's not often I get to catch her unawares," he said with subtle mischievous intent.

Leona looked at him distrustfully. Then again, her mom could take care of herself and certainly could shield herself from any silly, half-baked plans that he might have. She finally went upstairs and changed out of the skirt she had on and into something more combat accessible. Soon she had on her tights, her fingerless gloves, a close-fitting long-sleeved jacket over her dark camisole, and, of course, her short, metal enforced boots. Tied about her calves were spiky greaves that gave her kicks added devastation. Her gloves as well were spiked. After she was dressed, she felt ready. In fact, she wished she was already at the tournament to see how she would fare against others.

If only the twins weren't involved, she'd feel almost ecstatic about the event. Even though she'd reached some sort of understanding with Eros, she would still have to be around those hypnotizing orbs of his and if they weren't directed at her, they would be directed at other women—and she did not want to be present for such things. She'd focus her attention on Lucas then, the teasing, annoying Lucas. She didn't have a lot of choice in the matter, but beggars couldn't be choosers—she was dying for something to stave off her ensuing boredom and Lucas had come at the nick of time.

When she came downstairs fully equipped and with her unused traveling storage bag, she went to go check on her mom. Even before she arrived there, she could hear laughter, her _mother's_ laughter. Surprised, her pace increased so that she could bear witness to this rare scene. In the doorway of the den, she could see Lucas sitting beside his mother quite comfortably as if he knew her well and he was reading out what Leona assumed was a student's writing.

"I think he _completely_ missed the point here—but you have to admire his effort," Lucas said much to her mother's amusement.

"Well, it's an 'F' either way. How can I grade something that's completely off topic?" her mother asked.

"Aw, not even a few points for making your day?"

She shook her head. "He's a repeat offender, that one. I can't tell if he's being dead serious or purposefully contrary. Oh, Leona," her mother said looking up and noticing her watching.

Leona gave her a brief smile. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, actually and yet utterly dreading the fact that I have more of these to read through. Lucas told me about his plans and I'm completely onboard with it. Go, do something fun for a change. And I know you'll be in good hands with Lucas—he's used to looking after his siblings."

"So I've heard," Leona said back. She was a bit surprised that her mother had no objections whatsoever. What magic had Lucas worked on her? She glanced at Lucas' now innocent face. Surely her mother could see through his "friendly" façade.

"Alright," Lucas said standing up from the couch. "I would love to stay longer, but we have a tight schedule to keep."

"Please, don't let me keep you. Have a safe journey you two."

"And don't get too caught up in those essays, Mrs. Bryant. I'm sure the baby would appreciate it."

"I'm sure," her mother said as an afterthought as they left her to her own devices.

Leona didn't question the other until they were well outside. What exactly had he done to her mother to make her so…pliable?

"Your mother's responsible for saving Linus' life quite a few times. And, you know, she's a really nice lady. Regretfully, I've not visited as much as I would like. I'll always be indebted to her."

"She probably doesn't see it that way," Leona said to the other. "She's a healer and she doesn't mind helping her friends."

"Even so," he said. "Well, c'mon, let's pick up the pace a little. We still have to get to Mizuho."

"That's where the twins are?"

"That's right," Lucas said in a way that made her wonder if he was being sarcastic again—this was going to be a long journey.

It felt like a nice afternoon stroll up until they left the city limits. She realized suddenly that she'd not been past here on her own. Immediately, her guard was up and she positioned herself a little closer to Lucas. Despite everything, he did make her feel safe. It was clear he could defend himself quite well and that it was something he was used to doing.

"So this is what you do all the time?" Leona asked out of the blue after they'd walked for over an hour.

"What—killing monsters and listening to music?"

She was sure she had an annoyed expression on her face. "You know what I mean."

"I do like traveling a lot, but it's more out of necessity than anything else."

"And this is necessary?" Leona asked.

"Money is tight, so yes."

"Lloyd Irving is your father, right?"

"Yes," he said drawing out the word a little.

"And he's in every history book ever. Isn't he famous?"

"Being famous doesn't equate to having money. Saving the world is nice and all, but there's no compensation for it. And if you knew him at all, you'd know he's the least likely person to think of the brilliant idea of capitalizing off of his name recognition. The world is at peace…not much for him to honestly do."

"What _does_ he do?" Leona asked.

"All things volunteer work."

"So…he helps people for no pay and that's his job?"

"Well, mostly. It's right down his alley actually. Great role model if you want to be broke for the rest of your life and feel good about it."

Leona looked away thoughtfully. She'd never in a million years think that the Hero of Reunification could actually be without money. Why didn't her parents help then if they were such good friends? Were they content to allow them to live in squalor?

"Don't get me wrong, though. It's not like we require a lot of money in the first place—it just sure would make things a lot easier. I don't _always_ feel like sewing things when just buying a new shirt would solve the problem just as well and the material would probably be superior. I don't mind it, but then I do mind it."

"You enjoy being contradicting."

"Aren't we all?"

Leona shrugged. She hadn't met a lot of people to confirm such a blanket statement and she left it at that. She didn't find herself to be contradicting at least.

Leona didn't know how long they had to travel but after a few hours, she thought this might drag on forever. They came upon mountains which Leona feared they'd have to cross, but Lucas assured her that they would be going _around_. One could climb it if they had the proper gear, patience, and energy, but it was largely unnecessary. For a short while, they were walking past a small body of water which was refreshing in Leona's opinion—she wondered if the water was clean enough to drink. Somehow, Leona knew the other would know the answer and he told her, yes and that it was actively kept clean for Mizuho purposes.

"So that means we're close? Can we make it before the sun goes down?" Leona asked him. There seemed to be no end to the questions that kept bubbling to the surface of her mind.

"We're close, but not close enough to trek through that forest without it turning dark. No one wants to go through that forest at night."

So they made camp in the open where there was plentiful water. They wound up using it for both cooking and drinking. Now she understood why Lucas' pack was much larger than hers—there were cooking supplies in them as well as food. Enough to serve their purposes, he assured her. She refilled her water pouches which had been severely drained that day. Not that it had been excruciatingly hot. In fact, it had been undeniably pleasurable, but she was not used to traveling long distance on foot. Her heavy footwear made things far worse.

Before she knew it, she was curling up to the hot flames of the campfire. She wondered if she should volunteer to keep watch, but her eyes were already protesting staying open.

"It's relatively safe here," Leona heard Lucas say. "We don't exactly need a lookout, but I'll do so just in case, princess…I'll keep you safe."

The way he had said "princess" just then…But her mind did not have time to analyze it before she was drifting off.

* * *

Leona awoke to being shaken early in the morning. She groaned in discomfort when her eyes first peered out into the bright sun.

"Rise and shine—the earlier we start, the sooner we can get this all over with."

Leona sat up slowly. The campfire from before was all ashes. She looked around for her pack and realized that it was in a different place than where she'd set it before. Not only that, but everything was already packed. She took the bag into her lap and rummaged through it to make sure everything was there.

"Did you touch my bag?" she asked to the standing Lucas.

"What—are you missing something?" he said back.

"Well, no, but…"

"The only thing I'm waiting for is you."

"You know, it's common courtesy to _ask_ before you touch things that aren't yours."

Lucas looked at her as if she was being ridiculous, "I was bored and there was really nothing else to do besides wait for you."

There were personal items in her bag like bras and panties and she wondered if he'd seen those things. "Would you do me a favor and not do that again?"

"I apologize, if it's really bothering you this much. It's not as if there was something in there that I haven't seen before—

"Lucas," she said a bit startled, "_And_ you looked through my bag." _Great, now I'll have to keep closer tabs on my items…_

"Well, I asked before, but you made it seem like it was this big secret."

"That's because it is and it's private."

"I just—well, I don't like having question marks as far as inventory goes. It just makes everything a whole lot easier if I just knew everything you brought with you."

Leona stood up then and put her bag on her back. The thought of Lucas peering through her bag disgusted her. It simply wasn't a normal thing one would do to another especially since she still considered him more of an acquaintance than anything else. She knew, however, that he'd probably have a fit if she told his "friendship status" to others. She did not know him very well and she was sure there were going to be many more moments like these when he would do something that she didn't expect.

"Now you know," she said haughtily.

Lucas was no longer looking at her. Now he was looking towards the forest. "The going will be a bit treacherous. Keep your guard up."

"What's in there?" Leona asked.

"Monsters. Creatures of the forest. I went through it plenty of times before so we're not likely to get lost. Stay close."

Despite her previous thoughts, she did decide that she would stay close to him. He hadn't led her astray thus far and he sounded serious. Her pack was light compared to the heavy footwear she wore so she would not be hindered. They moved quickly into the forest. Though it was clearly daytime, their surroundings immediately became dark. She would not have liked to trek through such a forest at night.

She walked side by side with Lucas now. She was beginning to feel a bit apprehensive, but all he would do was stare straight ahead. He seemed unbothered. When he stopped dead in his tracks, his cool aura seemed to evaporate suddenly. He was looking about almost frantically and Leona became further uneasy.

"What is it?" Leona asked. She was looking around as well, but could discern nothing.

"I sense it—something's about to attack."

Then, out of the trees besides them on the trail they'd be traversing, a zombie-like creature jumped out and then tackled her to the ground. She couldn't help but panic at that very moment as its claw came down upon her. Had she not yanked her head to the left, she'd be in a world of hurt.

"Stay away from her!" she heard Lucas shout.

Then she heard as sword met squishy flesh and then again as the sword was ripped back. Leona sat up after the creature was taken off of her just in time to see Lucas tearing the odd looking creature apart with his sword. The creature had little time to react before Lucas savagely swiped his blade cleanly through its neck. Finally, the creature fell in a heap and dark blood began to ooze quickly from the wound.

"C'mon, let's get a move on," Lucas said probably because she was gawking for too long.

Lucas moved to help her to her feet, but before he could do so, she climbed to her feet so as to avoid having to touch his hand. Then they were running. Lucas for some reason wanted to take up her hand as they did so, but she moved just out of his reach.

"I can run just fine!" she shouted to Lucas.

"Alright, then, keep up."

"I am."

But she obviously had no idea just how swiftly the other could run before he was taking off at speeds that seemed inhuman. She forced her legs to pump even faster, but she could not keep up and he was becoming farther and farther away.

"Hey, wait up!" Leona shouted a bit frustrated.

She didn't want to be left behind in such a forest and it was impossible for her to move any quicker. She was not known for running for long distance and this was made abundantly clear to her. Maybe if she didn't have such weights on her legs…She was relieved when it seemed that Lucas heard her and turned back to her. She expected him to wait until she reached his position, but he came rushing back to her much to her astonishment, grabbed her legs and lifted her quite easily over his shoulder.

"Geez!" Leona shouted out in surprise.

Before she knew it, she was hanging over his shoulder and moving at a rapid pace. She wondered what all the rush was and why she just _had_ to be lifted in such a way, but it was the fasted she'd ever been carried across so much land by foot. Even she began to sense the danger. As she lifted her head a little and peered into the darkness, she felt as if the forest itself was closing in on them. The forest seemed alive. Noises emitted from everywhere. Any moment now, something would jump out at them. Then they broke free. She hadn't even seen it coming, but it happened. She was placed on the ground before the other saw fit to lay down on the ground sprawled.

Leona climbed to her feet easily with arms crossed in annoyance. She looked down at the reckless boy who heaved freely now, his face flushed.

"I told you before, I can do more than just magic. That creature just caught me unawares. There may have been danger there in that forest, but I bet if we stood and fought together, we would have made quick work of them."

Lucas was looking at her now, but he couldn't quite respond as of yet as his breathing took more priority at the moment. He raised an index finger towards her as if to say "Give me a minute."

"And I'm pretty heavy to carry—way too heavy to be running around with."

This seemed amusing to the other as his eyes became alight with silent laughter. She noticed as well, that where her legs had been against his shirt, it was torn a bit, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. It took him a few minutes to regain his composure and finally sit up.

He gave a short laugh. "You're the only girl I know who would openly say 'I'm pretty heavy'."

Leona gave him a confused look. "Well, I am."

"Where have you been all my life," he said as he climbed to his feet not nearly as smoothly as Leona. In fact he stumbled a little influenced in all likelihood by the exhaustion he still felt. "But I guess that isn't entirely accurate—I suppose I've known you for almost all my life."

He turned and walked to her. She wasn't sure what he was talking about any longer, but she didn't feel like asking him to clarify. He looked at her intently now and Leona remembered that he had looked at Linus similarly that night at the hotel.

"I'm just glad you're safe." There was a sincerity in his pale blue eyes that Leona could not easily dismiss.

He must have been genuinely concerned for her safety and she at least had to commend his earnestness towards her wellbeing.

"I have no doubt that together, we might have been able to defend ourselves, but I didn't want to waste our energy on petty fights. We have a tournament to worry about."

"That _is_ true," Leona looked away from him now as she began to notice something about him. "Lucas, you really take looking after someone seriously."

"It's a serious matter and I've failed many times before. You've placed your trust in me, haven't you?"

"Well…"

"At least your mother has in order for her to agree so wholeheartedly to travel without any adult supervision. You're mom's a pretty cautious woman too. I intend to keep you safe at all times."

"What if…" Leona faltered a little when she thought of how out of the blue her next question was, but she was curious as to his answer nonetheless. "What if someone charged you with protecting the world? Would you accept it?"

"Where in the world did _that_ come from?"

"Just something Clarion said…about destroying the world."

"And you're suddenly thinking about this now?"

"Yes," Leona said exasperatedly, "Are you're going to analyze everything I say and determine if it's 'okay to talk about now'? Or are you going to answer?"

Lucas grinned at her. "I apologize. I think I'll answer. Protecting one or two people is a troublesome enough responsibility—the entire world would be a fool's errand."

"So you wouldn't accept?"

"Not at all. Not on my own. I'd need help from those who I trust—and those kind of people are hard to come by."

"But not for you."

Lucas looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I have a lot of siblings sure. I suppose I trust them by default…even Cecil. That has nothing to do with anything I've done. Aside from them, there's you and those libido twins. Not exactly a _long_ list."

"That's more than me—

Lucas sighed exasperatedly. "Will you stop that? Everyone loves you and everyone considers you their friend whether you realize it or not. You could go visit any one of us and we'd invite you in as if you were some long lost sister."

"Then…you _love_ me?" Leona asked quizzically.

"Why did you have to say it like that?" he said turning from her. "We're very nearly there—let's not take all day walking the last few miles."

He'd completely changed the subject and was already walking off as if they were in a race against time—his pace was quite brisk and Leona had to sprint a little bit to catch back up with him. When she tried to look at him closely, he would turn his head slightly. His face was no longer flushed from exhaustion, but it was flushed by something else. She wondered how she had managed to embarrass him to such an astonishing degree, but she didn't think broaching the topic would make it any better. She, at least, found it amusing. She wasn't used to causing such a reaction from someone else. She spent the majority of her time with her parents and she was sure there weren't much things she could say to them that would embarrass them—actually, she thought after a moment, perhaps her mother was that way, but there were quite a number of things that could easily put off her sometimes overly sensitive father.

"What exactly do you mean by libido twins?" Leona asked as he'd managed to call them that twice now.

"Well, if you don't know by now, then I'm not going to be the one to explain it."

Leona frowned at this. "It's no big secret to me that they're both a bit…frisky. I'm pretty sure that's what you're referring to—I just wanted some confirmation."

"Eros more than Zeph," Lucas eventually conceded. "I'm surprised they haven't said anything to you."

"They have."

"Oh? Big surprise there. Probably at that birthday party."

"Yes, actually."

"You're worried about them traveling with us."

Leona nodded.

"You make it clear to them that you're not interested and all that awkward sexual tension should disperse. They can take 'no' for an answer, don't worry."

She imagined that tension would still be there and she was increasingly glad that Lucas was with her. For the most part, he seemed to act normal around her. She could direct all her conversation towards him and not ever directly speak to those other two.

She was unprepared for the sight she'd see when they arrived at Mizuho. Wooden arches indicated that they would soon be entering a village. When they stepped through, she felt as if she'd been teleported back in time to when people lived in subsistence. Clearly farming was an everyday activity. Dwellings were made primarily out of wood and people wore clothing she vaguely remembered as kimonos. The twins lived here?

"The Wilders live further back. A bit secluded from everyone else."

It was still morning time as they traversed through. She got the distinct feeling that everyone outside at that moment knew that they weren't from around there. First of all, their clothes differed greatly and Leona was beginning to feel increasingly shy. She felt eyes on her. She looked to Lucas and he seemed once again unfazed. In fact, he waved at a few denizens there. She wondered if she should do the same. It was probably rude of her to be looking to the ground and ignoring everyone around her, but it was too late to change her façade now. The further in they went, the less populated it became until they were walking down a lonely dirt path that seemed to have no end in sight.

After a short while, Leona saw a modest house coming into view. It was completely wooden, but it was impressive nonetheless. Enough to house a small family comfortably.

"This is it," Lucas said finally as they arrived at the porch steps.

They paused, however, when they heard loud voices. She looked to Lucas to see what he wanted to do next.

"Let's wait a moment…" Lucas said to the questioning Leona.

Curious, she stepped a bit closer so that she could hear a little better. She glanced back at the uninterested Lucas who now leaned back against the wooden railings of the ample front porch.

"Damn it, Zelos, you know I hate repeating myself!"

"Then _don't_! It's too early in the morning for this shit!"

"Too early?! Then you're saying I should just ignore it—just go about my business like there's nothing wrong with this picture?—

"Yes!" Zelos hissed.

"I feel like a broken record! Geez, things just go in one ear and out the other. This is not new! I don't think I'm being unreasonable here."

"If you like, I'll just buy you a million wooden cutting boards so that anytime you dirty one, you can just throw it away and never worry about how it's going to be cleaned."

"Now you're just being silly."

"You really woke up this morning and said 'hmmm…. what asinine thing should I notice _today_ and get on Zelos' nerves about?' and you think _I'm_ being silly?"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"I think you need to go PMS on your own time."

"I swear, Zelos—

"Take it out the dishwasher—you'll never find another wooden cutting board in there again, alright? And if you magically find one, then you have my permission to beat me down to a bloody pulp."

His voice was much closer now.

"I'll hold you to that!"

"You would!"

Leona didn't think the door was going to open so swiftly. In fact, she scarcely saw the door move before she was getting bashed in the face with it and fell unceremoniously to the ground. Her eyes watered a little as the pain traversed down her face mercilessly. She'd forgotten even to cry out in pain. Immediately her hands cradled her throbbing nose.

"Oh shit, what in the world," she heard the man breathe from above her.

Zelos' watery concerned face came into view. It was a funny thing to notice at this moment, but she noticed some stubble on his face. Granted she did not see him very often, but every time she did he was always so clean-shaven.

"Who is it?" Leona heard a woman's voice—probably Sheena—shouting from the distance.

Zelos turned from her and shouted back to her to confirm her identity.

"I'm so sorry, honey. Here, let me see your nose," he said in gentler tones.

She'd been covering her nose, but now she slowly removed their presence as she felt his hands lightly tugging at them. Suddenly, there was more shadows around her.

"Are you alright," she heard Lucas ask. She could not see him, however, and she did not want to risk moving her head.

"Oh, poor baby," Sheena said gently moving her hair from her face.

Zelos ran two fingers down her nose and she winced at his touch.

"It's not broken," he said relieved. "Sheena, would you mind getting a rag for the blood?"

"Sure, of course," Sheena said standing up.

It was amazing how calmly she had responded considering how angry she had sounded before.

"I think I'll heal you. No point in prolonging things," Zelos said.

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked the other.

_Since when could he heal people? Was he like my mom?_ Leona thought.

"It's not dire. It shouldn't take very much energy."

Leona watched as Zelos' hand hovered over her nose and then began glowing lightly. In a few moments, the pain and the swelling subsided much to her surprise. She sat up slowly and looked at the man with new respect.

"That was amazing, sir. Thank you."

His expression was only slightly annoyed and she'd forgotten his dislike for the word "sir". "Yes, I'm well aware of my awe-inspiring self," he replied giving her a half-smile.

"I had no idea you could heal people just like my mom."

"Like Raine? Well, she's on a completely different level than me. I remember the time when such artes took far less trouble to use. Something minor like this is all I'm good for. An apple gel works far more efficiently these days," he said with a sigh, "And now I feel like an old man."

It seemed he hadn't been exaggerating on his last comment as he climbed to his feet slowly and there was strain written on his face. He held a hand out to her in which she took graciously. Just then, Sheena came back with a damp brown cloth and Leona quickly wiped away the dried blood from under her nose. She'd almost forgotten it had been there in the first place.

"What a surprise," Sheena said with a smile. "I never imagined you'd come visiting, Leona, but I'm glad you came and with Lucas no less."

"Did we…did we come at a bad time?" Leona asked the woman.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "This is a great time. Actually, I made some breakfast. You can have some if you like."

"I would love to," Leona said realizing she'd not eaten any sort of breakfast. They'd been in a rush she supposed.

"Lucas?" Sheena said looking at the boy.

"You know me—I'd eat you out of house and home if I could."

Sheena laughed at this. "Come on in, you two. I can't imagine how long you two have been out there traveling."

Leona and Lucas followed her inside, but she stopped and looked back towards Zelos when she realized he wasn't with them.

"What will you do?" Leona asked the man innocently.

He had his hands in his pockets then, his expression a bit melancholic. She wondered if she'd missed something.

"I think I'll just…take a walk."

"Oh, okay," Leona responded. He must have already eaten.

"You do that, Zelos," Sheena said giving him a side-glance. The only indication that the argument from before had actually happened. "And don't do anything stupid, alright?"

"Alright," Zelos said back quickly, his back already turned to her.

Leona watched him proceed down the road but soon her attentions were elsewhere as she closed the door behind her and followed the other two into the dining room.

A dark blue table cloth blanketed a long table with six chairs total around it. Leona wound up sitting diagonally across from Lucas and Sheena eventually sat beside her after she gathered the food from the kitchen to set before them.

"I imagine you're the ringleader of this sudden visit," Sheena said to Lucas after a bit.

"Thought it'd be a good idea to drag Leona along on my little adventure."

Sheena grinned at this. "You've been enjoying yourself, Leona? He hasn't been a bother, has he?"

"No," she said shaking her head. "Actually he's been quite tolerable to be around."

"Oh, _tolerable_," Sheena said clearly amused. "Sounds like you're having tons of fun."

"If you don't mind me asking," Lucas began slowly, "Where's the twins?"

"They actually got up pretty early today. Wanted to do some shopping for some better weapons. They thought you'd be here yesterday and they're getting a bit antsy about it."

"Trust me, we won't be late. We have ample time."

"I know," she said with a nod, "But they can't wait to get out of here. I raised them all this time in a small village and they've never really quite settled in. Peace and quiet just isn't in their blood. They grow up so quickly…"

Leona noticed that Lucas finished his plate in record time, but when Sheena asked if he wanted seconds, he declined.

"Let's hope things turn out a little better this year," Sheena commented as Leona finished her food as well.

"Do things usually turn out badly?" Leona wondered aloud.

"I wouldn't say badly," Lucas said quickly, "But there's always that one group who always defeats us."

"The reigning champions," Sheena clarifies. "As I hear it, their team is very well put together and they train all year long together so that they fight in perfect unison with ease."

Leona's eyes widened at this. "Wait, they still sound way better than we do. I have no idea how all of you fight—We've never fought together."

Lucas shrugged at this. "Well, there's still a ways to go before we get to Meltokio. We're sure to run into a few fights along the way."

"A few fights versus an entire year of training," Leona said incredulously.

"If it takes you an entire year to learn how to fight with other people, then there's something wrong. It's just not that complicated. There's four of them and four of us. Pick one and fight. It's not their synchronicity that defeats us—it's that healer of theirs. And she uses offensive magic as well. With you there, it should be no problem."

They were both standing up from the table by now and Leona could scarcely believe her ears. Just how half-baked could a plan get?

"So you're betting I'll just zap somebody with some random light magic move and presto we win?" Leona asked.

"Thanks for making that sound incredibly unlikely," Lucas said with a laugh. "I personally think that since we'll be fighting on an even playing field, our chances of winning is near guaranteed."

"You never struck me as an optimist."

Lucas only shook his head at her. "At the very least, it'll be fun."

_At least…_Leona thought with little enthusiasm. She didn't think she'd like entering a fight in which her loss was inevitable. It wasn't exactly what she called fun. Then again, she'd never fought a real opponent before. She'd sparred with her father, of course, but he was always holding back and it was only for training purposes. Her father was never fighting to incapacitate her in any way. She wondered then, if her father would have approved of her entering such a tournament. Was she really ready for real combat? In her mind, it did not seem like such a scary venture, but even she could not deny her inexperience. Lucas should have accounted for that as well. What if she froze the moment she got out there?

"This is your first real fight, isn't it?" Sheena asked startling Leona out of her darkening thoughts.

Leona could only nod. The woman must have been capable of reading people's minds.

"I remember the first day I saw real combat," Sheena said with a soft smile, "I was a nervous wreck, you should have seen me. There's only one thing you can do when the moment comes—remember your training. Do exactly what you've been learning for so long…and it just flows. I'm not saying that you won't stumble upon some differences, but as long as you focus on the basics, you'll be able to adapt."

"I'll try to remember that," Leona said with another nod.

"And, Lucas, let her practice on the local monsters around here. If you truly want to win this time, you have to make sure everyone's on the same page."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucas said almost drearily.

"Sorry for being such a nuisance," Leona said sensing his shift in mood.

"No, no, it's not you at all," Lucas said lightening his tone. "I just wanted to conserve our strength until the tournament. Now that I think about it, this is something we _need_ to do beforehand."

At least he was onboard with her suggestion. It was sensible and had Sheena not gotten him to agree, she would have demanded that they follow Sheena's wisdom. They eventually parted ways with Sheena since their meal was done and Lucas was always one for reminding everyone that time was of the essence even if it wasn't really the case. The fastest way to Meltokio was to travel over to Sybak and then take a ship to their destination. Taking the ship would take almost a day to reach their destination. Sheena informed them before they left that she'd provided the twins with tickets for their passage. When she offered to also take care of Leona's fare, she kindly declined. Leona had ample money with her, enough so that it would never be an issue. A fact that even Lucas had not known until that moment.

They went into the main part of town looking for the twins where Sheena had told them they would be, but the task was easier said than done. Eventually, they began to expand their search radius and Leona found herself separated from Lucas for the time being. That was how she came upon Zelos. The redhead was relaxing on a bench pointed towards what Leona could only assume was a playground of some kind though it lacked children or things to play with, it was the only way to describe why a bench would be looking at such a large, empty field. It was understandably too early for children to be about in the first place.

When she moved closer to his position, she could see that his head was bowed. Perhaps he was resting; she couldn't be sure. So when she stood beside the bench, she debated with herself whether she should disturb him. In the end, she decided to do so.

"Hello, Zelos," Leona said brightly remembering to use his name instead of "sir".

A jolt seemed to go through him as if he was startled by her voice, but soon he was looking at her with the beginnings of a grin on his face. "Still looking for the twins?" he asked.

Leona nodded. "We've checked the central marketplace and couldn't find them at all."

"Not surprising," Zelos said leaning back on the bench, "They told Sheena that story just so they'd have an excuse to be out of the house—I'm sure Lucas must have figured it out already."

Even if Zelos wasn't surprised by this, Leona was. "So where are they? Maybe they left already."

"I doubt it," Zelos said shaking his head, "They were looking forward to that tournament in Meltokio and they always go with Lucas. No, they probably invited themselves over to some poor woman's house. Don't look so concerned, it's not anything new. He'll find them soon enough."

"I guess…this is a small town. So everybody knows everybody."

"Don't try to rationalize it. When I say they've invited themselves to some woman's house, it's not for anything innocent."

"I see. Well, I better go—

"You're not in a rush, are you? Why don't you keep me company for a bit?"

Leona thought for a moment and in the end saw no real reason why she couldn't acquiesce. Soon she was sitting next to the man who so easily made her feel special.

"When you say not innocent, you mean…?"

"Exactly what you're probably thinking. You've met them before and," this time his expression turned into a true grin, "that rather bold gift they gave you."

Leona was silent for a while as her mind zeroed in on what he was talking about. The other laughed at her muteness.

"It's funny," he said as his eyes looked upward to the skies, "I always thought of myself as a product of circumstances. I am the way I am due to those around me. I thought that had my past been different, I would have turned out so much differently and I'd be hardly recognizable to the person I am today. Yet Eros and Zeph proved me wrong. They were shown nothing but love. I see myself in them—a bit too much."

"Yourself?" Leona asked. Zelos didn't seem to be anything like them…

"Your confusion is a compliment in itself I suppose." He had turned to look at her then.

"Oh, well, you're welcome."

They sat in silence for a little while and he was no longer looking at her, but towards the field. It was obvious to her that he was deep in thought. It wasn't an altogether strange thing as adults often had far more things to worry over. But Zelos was different. He wasn't quite an adult, somewhere in between a boy and a man. This day, however, he seemed somehow older. She'd never visited him in his place of living. Perhaps that was contributed to his personality change.

"You said you were going for a walk and then I find you on a bench somewhere. Was that an excuse as well just to get out of the house?" Leona asked Zelos finally. She'd been wondering about this fact since she first realized that it was him.

"I did and then I got tired and decided to sit here."

Leona wasn't entirely convinced by this. After all, she and Lucas had walked down that same path and then proceeded to spending nearly an hour searching for the twins. At this point, she still wasn't tired and certainly not enough to warrant a rest. Zelos must have seen her unconvinced look.

"I tire easily."

"How come?" she asked automatically, but soon wondered if she should have asked. She'd known her "how comes" to irritate even her ever patient father. She half-expected Zelos to reply with "because I said so."

He was silent for a long moment contemplating how he might go about answering. "It's not something I completely understand myself. I used to just chalk it up to the fact that I wasn't as young as I used to be. But my 'condition' or whatever it is worsened year after year until it became noticeable even to my wife who thought it was a passing thing. Then, I realized something when I attempted to heal a minor cut one of the boys got when they were younger. It took far too much effort. It hadn't simply been difficult, but something even beyond that. I felt exhaustion before from using too much mana at once, but this was different. The air grew thin as if I was at some high elevation or at least it felt that way. It felt as if my body was shutting down completely—and it was just from that one arte." he said becoming caught up in his recounting.

"Back there when you healed me…" Leona said suddenly. "I'm so sorry I made you do that—

"That was my choice," he said shaking his head, "And it's not as bad as that for now. It was simply something that caught me off-guard back then. I learned something from that event. At the very least I had a good hunch that no one has been able to disprove: the mana depletion from this world or at least our access to it is adversely affecting me. My ability to use mana didn't come naturally—I'm no elf. Because of that very fact even if the laws of the natural world has been rewritten, it does not account for me who still depends on mana for life."

"So what you're saying in so many words is that you're dying," Leona said interrupting him again.

Zelos was quiet for a moment as he digested her words. "Well, you do like to put things bluntly. We're all dying if you think about it and in the same way so am I. There is or there was an exorbitant amount of mana in this world. It was what created life in the first place. It would take a long time to completely redirect all the mana being created on a daily basis."

"And you're counting on that to stave off an untimely death," Leona rationalized.

Zelos paused and then grinned at her. "Morbid, but very accurate."

"Does everyone…know about this?" Leona asked wondering if she should break such staggering news to Lucas.

"Basically, but no one's bothered to tell Lloyd as far as I know. It's been so long since I've known about this that it's become some unspoken law amongst us to completely leave him out of the loop."

"In that case, I'll carry on the tradition."

Zelos laughed at her. "I suppose it is a tradition."

"This explains why Sheena was so upset earlier."

Zelos looked at her in a confused manner and she could practically see him silently going through the events of the day as his eyes traveled elsewhere besides her. Then his eye brightened when he figured out what she was talking about. Obviously, their argument had not left much of an impression on him. She wondered if that meant that such happenings were commonplace.

"Ah, she wasn't really upset. She's just been overly stressed lately. And, of course, as usual I'm not helping matters. The boys have grown so independent lately. Just feels like yesterday when she was giving birth to two all at once. That was a painful scene I'd like not to see again…But where was I? When they were younger, they were practically attached to her. She'd dote on them and they were the sweetest little boys you'd ever seen. Dare I say, she probably loved them more than I. Then one day they became…distant. They wanted to do things on their own without their mom there all the time. I mean, I understand where they're coming from, but they could humor her sometimes. Then your birthday party basically confirmed what she'd been thinking about them. I wasn't the greatest father and I certainly don't have enough clout to 'chastise' them. I suck even worse at consoling someone especially Sheena. I doubt I even have the ability to make her truly happy again…but that's neither here nor there and I'm sure you're tired of listening to an old man's ramblings."

"No, actually I find it intriguing."

"Intriguing?" Zelos repeated amused with her choice of word. "How so?"

"Makes me wonder if I should ever get married."

"I wouldn't base such life-changing decisions on other's actions. Besides, it's not so bad. I think I'd be completely lost otherwise."

Now it was Leona's turn to be confused.

"Sometimes I forget I'm just talking to a thirteen year old girl," he said with a short laugh. "You'll understand when you get older…or maybe you won't. I think I've wasted enough of your time, though, I'm sure Lucas is looking for you by now."

"I enjoyed chatting with you," Leona said as she stood up. "I always think there's a solution to every problem and yours are no different."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. Now run along already. Good luck at the tournament."

Leona said her thanks to the conflicted man and made her way to the central marketplace where Zelos indicated Lucas and the twins might be. Along the way, her mind remained on the conversation she'd just had. She knew so much more about him and Sheena and she wondered what she should do with such information. She found that she liked having that knowledge and that she was trusted enough for him to share it. Maybe she truly was a nosy person at heart. She wished she knew as much about everyone else as well. Suddenly, she was looking forward to the journey she still yet had in front of her since it was with three people she decided she knew very little about.

* * *

AN: Another chapter finished. I can't believe I reached another 8,000 words with this one and I still hadn't gotten to everything I wanted to get to. In fact, I had to change the chapter title because of it. Having an outline is nice, but when I start writing it takes much longer for me to completely say what I want to say. Let me also warn you that I do love dialogue so don't be surprised if you see more of these conversation heavy chapters…I hope you don't mind. Also, just want to put this out there: I've gotten a lot of complaints about Regal/Raine so I'm probably just going to put something on the first chapter that says what story they should read to convince themselves of it. After that, I'm probably just not going to respond to reviews that have just that questions as I've answered it many times now...And if you're wondering, try reading **"One Of Us" by MixedBreedMaiya**. She's a better writer than I am and is probably responsible for converting many readers into Regaine fans.

**StarlightDiamond: **There was an alleged love letter that turned out not being a love letter at all, but the fact that they would add such an unnecessary event into the game is enough to raise eyebrows. It was more of a teaser and not a confirmation of any sort of connection to each other, but I did look at this very closely. Raine gave Regal a secret letter that everyone then assumed was a love letter. Raine never indicated that it was and Regal didn't either. Why would everyone simply jump to those conclusions? Genis, Marta, and Emil all thought it was and neither Raine nor Regal corrected them. They could have said it was something else besides a love letter-a letter could have a plethora of topics. If it was supposed to be secret, why would you allow everyone to blow it out of proportion and not clarify it as something else boring in nature? During the time in the game, Regal was in your party not Raine and there were two or three skits pertaining to that darn letter. Regal was just going along with the program not denying or correcting anyone-it was rather cute. In fact I think he was enjoying all the ambiguity. It got to the point that even I was starting to think it was an actual love letter. I remember Marta stating that she was envious of their "mature" relationship and then she began asking him for relationship tips pertaining to Emil-what's more surprising is that Regal totally humored her. Now that I think about it, I think that was the best part of the game for me(lol). The whole not-love letter thing was dragged out for a long time before it was finally revealed that it was nothing of the sort. But Raine and Regal REALLY like keeping secrets from people...

That was a long explanation, but that love letter debacle is really the only canon evidence there is. As for a good story to convince you of their relationship, I've fallen in love with a certain writer who's pen name on this site is **MixedBreedMaiya**. She writes a lot of Regal/Raine stories and I love all of them, but her first few ones weren't the best. Her writing skills increased steadily and I'd say "**One of Us**" is the best she's written and ironically the one she hasn't finished yet. There's 17 chapters and its a really worthwhile read. She has their relationship and emotions down to a "t". Might even convert you into a Regaine. (In fact, I might just read it again in just be in awe of superior writing skills...)

Also, I just want to mention about Presea that I forgot to mention before. She's physically the same age as Genis. Now she's chronologically 28, but can we really say that she's been developing normally mentally? Her aging process ceased, but along with that her emotions were suppressed and she fell into a monotonous routine. She was hardly thinking during those years. She didn't even realize her father was rotting away in that bed. She was stuck in a time loop really. She still has trouble expressing herself emotionally and in my book that makes her a child despite living for so long. She wasn't really "living" in the first place. Now she is, however. She wouldn't be Regal's speed at all. And from what I can see from her relationship with him, it's more of a daughter/father bond. Pawpads Society? Really? No love letter gag there...

**ApplejackFan-Ema **and **EvaS: **Read "One of Us" by MixedBreedMaiya


	10. A Fine Tournament

Chapter 10: A Fine Tournament

They finally left Mizuho after the twins joined them. Leona had to admit that she felt a little safer having more than just Lucas. Not that she trusted him less, but there was strength in numbers. The twins seemed different. They weren't at all how she had imagined them to be. Of course, they called her beautiful or anything along those lines on a fairly constant basis, but they seemed more jovial, less concerned, well, with her. They were excited about this tournament and she listened to them including Lucas reminisce on the last few times they entered, all losses.

The twins dressed differently. She supposed it should not have surprised her. They weren't going to a formal ball or anything and despite her initial thoughts, they did not dress that way all the time. One of them, which Leona immediately determined was Zeph dressed in a kimono. The haori or the jacket that he wore over everything else started out as light purple from the top and then scaled smoothly into darker and darker shades. It was eye-catching to say the least. Underneath, the kimono itself was a shade lighter than lavender and his hakama or bottoms were the same color. The obi he wore which worked as a kind of fashionable belt, interrupted all the purple fabric with light brown and darker lines that formed decorative triangles on the upper and lower halves. A piece of jewelry which connected one side of his jacket to the other in the front was what he wore for the haori-himo and it was of purple sapphire that gleamed beautifully in the sunlight.

The fabric of his clothing was patterned and richly, Leona wondered why one would want to fight in something so lovely and when she asked, he replied that this was one of his least formal clothing that happened to be in his closet at the time. Apparently, wearing kimonos was a norm for Zeph who had an entire closet filled with them. It was part of the local fashion, but evidentially Eros never had much interest in it. His clothing was what Leona considered "normal" and "modern". He wore dark pants which were rounded at the bottom and then revealed black and gold short boots. He wore a mid-sleeved white shirt underneath a casual one-breasted vest that boasted golden silk lining inside and dark fabric without.

Unlike Zeph who wore his hair in a high ponytail, Eros wore his down not particularly styled in any way. His hair naturally fell down into heavy curls near the bottom and since he no longer had his hair pulled back, the front part of his hair fell over his forehead parted sideways as opposed to the exact center and predictably one side had far more strands of hair than the other in an asymmetrical way. Both boys' hair was long, voluminous and inordinately shiny. Due to its darker coloring it only added to the luster and honestly it began to make her feel a bit self-conscious. Her periwinkle hair seemed not to compare at all to something of their caliber yet they saw fit to comment on her beauty. Was hair included?

"Remember what Sheena said," Leona spoke to Lucas as they took a route that went around the dark forest.

Zeph looked on with mild interest as they mentioned his mother, Eros seemed largely unconcerned.

"I know," Lucas answered, "I'm…just looking for the right moment."

"When? If we keep on like this, we'll reach Sybak before we face any monsters."

"Oh, I see now," Zeph said, "You want to practice. I think that's a fine idea, Leona."

Leona looked over at Zeph with a grateful expression. At least someone saw the merit in this.

"Alright, alright," Lucas said with a sigh, "Let's go find something quickly and—

Lucas paused when he heard Eros pull out his talwar with a sharp "zing".

"Looks like we won't have to look far," Eros commented as he looked towards where a grasshopper like creature was approaching them.

It was only one creature, but immediately Leona drew similarities to the ones Lucas and her had seen in Altamira. It was a pitch black color and it resembled an insect of some kind. Now, however, there were more people with her.

Lucas took the lead and Leona was not at all surprised by this. By then, all three of them had their swords drawn—Eros with his talwar, Zeph with his scimitar, and Lucas with his broadsword. Leona simply went into her combative stance. She was not about to rely on her magic this time.

They made quick work of the monster. Lucas struck out first, the twins flanked it, and Leona threw in as many hits as possible. She went to work as her last training session with her father came to mind and pulled off at least two combinations of swift kicks and near invisible punches that sent the monster reeling. She hadn't even gotten started before the monster was slain. Alone, this battle would have taken much longer requiring more evasive action, but Lucas was able to hold the monster's attention and distract it from their plethora of attacks. It was a no-brainer just as Lucas thought it would be. Leona did, however, begin to rethink her role in the group. If the twins and Lucas were all close quarter combatants, she added little besides more firepower to the table. No one stood apart from the action. By being so close together, they could be knocked out in one fail swoop. She'd probably serve more of a purpose as a magic user…but she'd have to think more on that later. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Lucas once again fell down in obvious pain.

She knew more about Lucas now and she noticed that he was one who liked being in charge, one who liked to demonstrate strength in front of others. So when she saw this, she knew that whatever pain he felt at this point was something even he could not hide. Leona rushed to his side just like before and wanted to hold him closely, but this time he did not tolerate her actions and pushed her away though it was pitifully feeble. It seemed difficult for him to breathe as he gasped for breath and his body trembled involuntarily.

The twins were far more concerned than what she thought they were capable of.

"What is this? What's happening?" Eros asked first to Lucas and then looked at Leona. His eyes demanded an explanation.

"It's…I'm not sure. It happened before—

"That's _enough_," Lucas somehow managed to say between breaths, but his voice was notably hoarse.

"Isn't that my line," Zeph asked. He sat beside Lucas now. "You stubbornness never ceases to amaze me. Continue Leona. I want to know everything."

This time Lucas made no attempt at stopping her. She felt that she had to say everything and at that moment she felt as if they could ask her anything and she would respond—it was a scary feeling. So she relayed the incident at Altamira and how he refused to let Raine or anyone know even though they were all gathered there for her birthday. She watched as Zeph shook his head slowly. Eros let out a quick breath as if amused by the whole thing. He hadn't even bothered to come down to their level. He stood with arms crossed near her.

"So this happened twice now. Are you waiting for the moment when you can no longer handle it on your own—waiting for the time when you tell yourself 'damn, maybe I should have told someone about this'?" Zeph asked.

Lucas' breathing had returned to more noticeable level and he no longer held his chest. That was where, Leona suspected, it pained him the most. He was able to look at them now fully with an annoyed expression.

"Listen, let's make a deal," Leona said suddenly. An idea had struck her mind. "If we win the tournament, then you _have_ to come back to Altamira with me and let my mom help you."

"Funny, it almost sounds like you're certain that we _will_ win," Lucas said with the beginnings of a grin.

"Of course. Since I'm here, we will, just like you said."

"If it motivates you to fight your hardest, then it's a deal."

"Wait a minute," Zeph asked a bit angrily, "Are we making bets on your wellbeing now?"

"It's the only way he'll do it," Leona said confidently, "All we have to do is win and getting help will be far less of a hassle."

"I don't care," Zeph said heatedly, "Win or lose, _I'm _going to personally drag you all the way to Altamira kicking and screaming and don't think for a second that I won't or that I'm not capable."

"Geez, little brother, give it a rest. I hate when you get all 'righteous'—it's annoying even to watch. You can't force someone to do what they don't want to. How would you like it if someone did it to you?"

"And you know that _I_ hate when you call me 'little' brother. A few measly minutes apart are inconsequential and negligible as far as development goes."

"Oooh, look my little brother using all those big words now," Eros said with a laugh that was obviously meant for belittlement.

Zeph leaped to his feet very quickly after that and consequentially so did Leona who stood in between them before things truly got out of hands.

"Look, this isn't about either of you, this is about Lucas—

"Who's fine now, by the way," the person in question said rising to his feet. "We should be off before we miss today's departure."

"No," Leona said with furrowed eyebrows, "You are not okay. You haven't been okay since Altamira and the truth is we have no idea what your condition is."

"Well, then, we better win that tournament."

"You better hope that we do," Zeph added who had backed away from Leona's outstretched arm blocking him from Eros. "I meant what I said."

Lucas only gave him a passing look. It was obvious to Leona that he didn't put much stock in the other's words and this received another short laugh from Eros. Leona gave Eros a warning look in which he shrugged with disinterest. Lucas had already started walking and soon the others were as well. Leona used to be the one lagging behind, but now Zeph held that position. When she looked back at Zeph, she found that he was positively fuming. She was glad he did not direct those smoldering embers towards her. She kept her head looking straight ahead from then on. Eros held easy conversation with Lucas mainly focused on his exploits in Meltokio and how since they would have so much time to kill upon arrival, he might go visit certain places. At least now she knew why they'd been in such a hurry to get there and it had little to do with the tournament itself.

Leona quickly grew bored with the topic and by then was not at all upset that Zeph _desperately_ wanted to speak with her despite how overly emotional he seemed.

"Can you believe those two idiots?" Zeph began not at all keeping his voice down, "As if everything is as it should be. Lucas is too stupid to care and Eros is too cold-hearted."

"I'm sure calling them names will make them all the more willing to see your point of view," Leona very nearly snapped at the other.

She wondered if she'd said too much but his eyes grew a little softer. "You're right, of course. But this is so commonplace. It's so _typical_ of them. After a while, it just grates on my nerves." He spoke quieter now so that the other two could not hear.

"But why do you hang out with people that get on your nerves?"

"Do you always get along with people you like?" he answered with a question.

"Well, for the most part, yes."

Zeph smiled at her. "Then you may not know your friends well enough. There will always be something, some small or large thing that you really don't care for."

"No, admittedly, I don't. But that's why I want to call everyone acquaintances until I know them better, but Lucas gets angry when I do that. It's all quite confusing for me."

"Ah, it's not rocket science. Nowhere is there a requirement that you must know everybody well before calling them a friend or that every friend you have is an open book. Friendship isn't based off of rules or logical prerequisites. It's far simpler than that—it's just a mutual agreement that you in some small or large part care about the other. Establishing one is the easiest thing in the world, keeping it is what's difficult."

"In one breath, you've described to me what's been a constant source of confusion for me for some time now. I think I like you better when you're not upset."

Zeph laughed at this. "Well, thank you."

"And is it okay then, that I call you my friend?"

Zeph was only momentarily puzzled by this. "Of course—if I wasn't already."

"Am I…not supposed to say 'friend' out loud?" she asked, "Apparently, I have a lot of these even though I was never informed."

"You have to be the most sweetest, innocent girl I've ever met. Here we are pondering about the meaning of friendship as if it were a foreign, rare thing. In reality, for most people it is a staple part of one's social life. No doubt you were sheltered by your parents."

Leona found herself blushing if only slightly as he spoke of her like that, but it wasn't in the same hot, burning way she'd been blushing before Eros. This, in fact, felt near comfortable and Zeph made no comment on her rosy cheeks.

"Everyone says I was so it must be true, but they're not so sheltering now. My mom actually agreed wholeheartedly with Lucas' plans and she used to flip out if I even thought about playing in the backyard with no supervision."

"And how do you feel about that?" Zeph asked.

"Feel? Well, I've never stopped to notice. It's…just a little strange. I do sometimes feel a bit abandoned, but I know that's silly."

"And now that you're out here actually traveling without your parents knowing exactly what you're doing?"

"It's…kind of fun."

Zeph smiled briefly. "Good. It can be a bit daunting at first, but you're surrounded by people who do care about your wellbeing."

_By friends_ she thought replacing his roundabout description of the kind of people around her. It was a heartwarming realization.

"Have you been to Meltokio before?" Zeph asked her.

"A couple of times when I was younger and Dad took me on a couple of his business trips."

"Then there was practically no time for exploration, I imagine," Zeph replied.

"Not much. It was…kind of boring really."

"Compared to Altamira, of course. Everything pales in comparison to Altamira entertainment-wise. When we get there, allow me to give you a proper tour."

They eventually arrived at the ship's port and in record time despite Lucas' fear that they were taking too long. Evidentially, the interruption with the monster hadn't been too detrimental to their schedule. Leona had been on ships before so she was no newcomer as she stepped aboard. She showed her ticket along with everyone else and was allowed passage to Meltokio.

* * *

Lucas spent the majority of his time with Eros much to Leona's relief. She'd been so afraid of being on such a confined area due to Eros' presence that she made doubly sure to be as far away from him as possible. But he'd made no advances towards her. Not in the least. In fact, he barely even looked her way. She was glad, but a little disappointed. She didn't exactly want to be ignored altogether.

Just when she thought she'd spend the long hours of the ride staring forlornly at the swooshing waters of the ocean, Zeph joined her. He seemed in a particularly good mood. Grinning even before she said a word.

"Excited about meeting up with your 'lady friends'?" Leona asked. It was a term she'd learned from Eros.

"I'm not looking forward to that at all, but don't tell my brother, alright?"

"How come?" Leona asked curiously.

"Because it would just be more fuel for ridicule."

"Alright," Leona said after a moment, "But what _are_ you looking forward to?"

"Doing anything besides that. You see, you're here this time. Lucas always tags along with Eros and as a default I tag along with them, but I don't have to this time."

"And _that's_ why you're in a good mood? Couldn't you have just not tagged along with them? No one's forcing you to do it, right? Or maybe I'm missing something."

"You're right again," he said with subtle despondency.

"You know, Lucas calls you two 'libido twins'—

Zeph was already laughing before she finished her question. "Libido twins," he repeated, "It has a nice ring to it."

"But it's not very accurate, is it?"

"When people call us twins, they're not referring to both us individually; they're referring to Eros and his carbon copy, Eros and that other guy. I can understand why. Eros has a way about him that grabs your attention. I've seen the way you look at him—

"I'm not his lady friend," Leona argued.

Zeph grinned at this, "I didn't think so, but even still. He draws you into his world, willing or not, and he manipulates you without your knowledge. He's always been good at that sort of thing. And I, well, I didn't want to be left out. That's how I always wound up trapping myself…"

"There's an easy solution to this," Leona said looking at him steadily now.

"Oh, do tell," Zeph said with feigned enthusiasm.

"Just be yourself. That's what my mom always tells me."

"That's good advice."

"So," Leona said after he said nothing more. "If you were doing exactly what you wanted to do, what would that be?"

"Hah, following your logic, I would not have been on this ship at all. I'd be at home with Mom where she would tell me what to do and I would do it because it makes her happy. We'd spend the whole day talking about her, sparring each other, and she'd dote on me all the while. That would be an ideal day in which we didn't get on each other's nerves and argue only to make up five minutes later. But that," he said changing his tone. She must have had a surprised look on her face. "would make me a momma's boy, a weakling in the eyes of my brother even Dad. Though I admire her immensely, she likes Eros better. Everyone likes Eros better. He's all she ever talks about and he causes her the most stress. There is no place for me except in my brother's shadow."

"That's not true. You're Zeph, a different person than Eros. No one belongs in the shadows. You know the first time I met you two, I was immediately able to tell you apart."

"Yes, I saw you at the party, how your eyes were alight with obsession as you gazed at my brother, but in disappointment when you saw me. I could almost hear you mind saying 'he's just not as interesting…'"

Leona's cheeks reddened with embarrassment. She couldn't rightfully deny him and she felt that the fact that she didn't was quite rude of her.

"You don't have to say a word," Zeph said as she opened her mouth, "Even as Eros can easily manipulate hapless women, I can almost always tell what's on a person's mind. I know I'm not wrong, but your reaction was not unique. It is always the case."

"I'm sorry, Zeph, I did not mean to act that way to you before, but it is certainly a fact that Eros does incite more attention. However, basing one's first impression of another on how a person will ultimately come to think of you is silly. I didn't know either of you quite well and from what I understand you were just copying your brother. How might it be if you were acting on your own accord? People might notice _you_. Would you be interested in the imitation version of something or something original?"

"What are you saying?" Zeph asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm telling you a solution to all your problems. Be yourself. If we lose this tournament, then drag Lucas down to Altamira like you said. If you think you have the greatest mom ever, than tell her that. If you don't think you have to be intimate with every girl you meet, then don't do it. And if you don't want to hang out with your brother all the time, then find something else to do."

Zeph sighed heavily and then banged a fisted hand on the metal railings they'd been standing next to, startling her. "You're right…once again."

Leona was unprepared when she found herself completely enveloped in a hug. It wasn't a quick, light hug that she might receive from her mother, but it was deep and passionate almost like the ones she received from her father, but this was different. There was a hint of desperation here, gratefulness, joy all bundled together. She'd never before been witnessed to such rampant emotion and it was all quite…intriguing.

"I had no idea my little brother had it in him," said the subtly mocking voice of Eros.

Leona was already trying to escape the other's grasp, but his grip was quite firm. In fact, it was still there when his head turned to look at his brother squarely.

"Why don't you go scram?"

"Oh, but I don't think she likes it much," Eros continued.

Realizing what Eros had been hinting at, he released her sheepishly. "Sorry, sometimes I get carried away," he said to her in low tones so that Eros couldn't hear.

"It's alright," she replied quickly.

"Have you fallen for my brother's innocent charm?—he's really pulling out _all_ the stops now," Eros said with crossed arms

"What exactly do you want? To annoy me to death?" Zeph said heatedly.

"I was coming to check on my dear little brother."

"Then the latter," Zeph retorted. "Well, I'm fine if you wanted to know. Now return to whatever place you were where I couldn't see you."

"You can always see me in your reflection," Eros said with a grin. "In a few hours then," he said as he turned and left them.

"Annoying…" Leona heard Zeph say under his breath.

Leona was glad that the other had left. Perhaps he sensed that he truly was unwanted. Eventually, they returned to their original position and their conversation lulled into a peaceful silence. The entire ride lasted for three hours and a half and had Zeph not nudged her out of her daze, she might not have even noticed the ship had anchored.

Looking at all the people aboard the ship, she wondered if she was ill-packed for her stay in Meltokio. She hadn't planned on doing anything besides attending the tournament, but then she realized that they had quite a few days to kill until the day actually arrived. Perhaps it was tradition that they come so early, but she would rather have gotten the entire ordeal over with. It was good that they were early, but Leona couldn't help but think it had nothing to do with being punctual.

The harbor hadn't been exactly in Meltokio, they still had to walk or take one of the ample carriages that awaited new arrivals. Leona opted to avoid unnecessary walking. She knew Lucas would disagree—he could probably walk in his sleep with perfect direction, but everyone else sided with her. Leona soon discovered why Lucas hadn't wanted to take a carriage—she paid for him much to his chagrin, but she did not make a big deal about it. Carriage rides were cheap anyways.

Zeph was surprisingly amiable around Eros as if they had not gotten on each other's' nerves just moments before. In light of not making the mood tense inside of the even smaller space of the carriage, she made no mention of it. In close proximity, she was able to look at both of them side by side (somehow the seating arrangement had ended up with her sitting next to Lucas and the twins on the other side). Objectively looking, there was nothing dissimilar. No small quirks that made the other obviously different physically. One wasn't a few millimeters taller, one wasn't a bit more muscular than the other, they were perfect copies—an oddity in itself. But their personalities differed dramatically. Could one honestly say that one possessed kinder eyes than the other when they looked the same? It was hard even to logically explain.

Leona was glad when they finally arrived at the city. Lucas got off first and somehow Zeph managed to be the one who helped her down from the carriage—an act that did not go unnoticed by the smirking Eros.

Before they went their separate ways, Eros mentioned the hotel that he had reserved for them ahead of time. It happened to be one of the finest ones in the city, Leona noted. There were two rooms. There would be no contest as to who would get a room alone since there were an even amount of them this time around. Out of courtesy, Leona would be able to choose who would share a room with her and without even giving it much thought, she chose Zeph and received yet another knowing look from Eros. Why did everything revolve around sex with Eros? Without further ado they entered the city and Leona did not see the other two for a good part of the day.

True to his word, Zeph took her on a tour of Meltokio. It was a large city, but in many ways it was small. They spent the most time at the armor shop. Zeph didn't need to remind her that such equipment were important. Now that she was here, she looked at the cloaks that were more her speed. She hadn't imagined that she'd be wearing such a piece of clothing for battle, but they were supposedly guaranteed to increase defense. There was one item called the mortality cloak which she decided to purchase after trying it on. There was definitely some weight to it, but would it actually help her in the tournament? Only time would tell.

The last place that Zeph took her was the Coliseum where the tournament would be held just so she could see the arena she'd be fighting in. It wasn't anything mind-blowing—a large circular enclosed area with a dirt ground, no grass in sight. They sat and watched a few fights and then understood the gist. She decided right then and there that she would be the caster when necessary and close quarters any other time.

The skies were darkening by the time they finished and Leona opted to go back to the hotel. Zeph, however, wanted to visit some other places. Leona didn't even begin to ask where he might go, even she could tell that he was being purposefully vague. So with this, they separated and Leona went off on her own.

She was glad to finally be inside. The cool AC was a welcome change. She set her items in her room immediately and then out of curiosity (or confirmation) she went to check on the room next door in which she thought it would be empty, but in reality there was one occupant.

She could tell who it was instantly from the starkly blond hair. She might have closed the door and continued on her way had she not heard him moaning in his sleep. She did wound up closing the door, but she had decided to step in. She wondered if this was a normal phenomenon. Did her parents engage in such activities? She remembered they were akin to silent statues only their breathing giving away that they were actually alive. She realized that she hadn't really run across much in her reading. Then her mind stopped on one horror story she had read on a whim. But it was fictional. Surely a fictional story would hold no bearings here.

She stepped over to his bedside so that she could get a closer look at him. It didn't appear as if he would be transforming into some monstrosity anytime soon. Instead, it looked all the world like he was having a bad dream. His face was flushed, something that could happen easily on his fair skin and his eyebrows were furrowed. He looked uncomfortable. As an afterthought, she placed the back of her hand upon his forehead and knew from there that his body temperature was at dangerously high levels.

Without further ado, she left his presence to gather rags just as her mother would. She wetted them and then placed them one by one across his forehead. When one would grow too hot, she'd replace it. His condition didn't seem to improve as quickly as she had thought it would so she took the only chair in the room and brought it closer to sit down. It wasn't until the third freezing wet rag that he awoke and it seemed difficult for him even to do that.

"Leona…" he managed to say. His voice sounded weak and worn. "…What are you…?"

Leona placed an index finger to her closed lips and shook her head, but he was stubborn. There was something he really wanted to say.

"Please don't…please don't tell anyone."

Her expression became one of exasperation. His need for secrecy simply wasn't sensible. Why must this be some big secret? Was there something more he knew about this and did it have anything to do with the two incidences before with the dark creatures? He was becoming anxious from her nonresponse and just to appease him so that he would not waste any of his precious energy, she simply nodded.

"Fine, I won't."

After she replied, he drifted off again and she replaced the rag. His fever still hadn't broken. In fact, it took near an hour for that to happen and by that time, it was well into the night. No one had come to interrupt her. Eros was nowhere to be found.

At the very least, Lucas no longer appeared to need her assistance. He seemed more peaceful. She could not determine what had brought all of this on and it was that uncertainty that worried her the most.

When she came back to her room, she found that Zeph had already returned; she could hear his breathing. She realized it was the first time she'd ever had to share a room with someone. She was used to complete silence and her own bed. As she laid in her bed now, she knew it would prove a difficult task falling asleep. That night, she only received four hours of it. All she had done was listen to his breathing and stared at the ceiling upon her foreign bed with foreign sheets.

This night repeated itself all the way up to the day of the tournament in which she'd come back to a feverous Lucas and an already sleeping Zeph by the time she came back to her room, but each day she was able to sleep a little better as she grew used to her surroundings. On the second night, she received adequate sleep for the tournament the next day. It began in the afternoon and by that time, everyone was gathered there in their battle gear.

Tournaments came a dime and a dozen in the Meltokio Coliseum, but this one happened to be one of the biggest especially since the fights wouldn't be one on one.

Lucas, the de facto leader, turned to look at them right before they entered the arena. Leona noted that he showed no signs of his nightly episodes; his pale eyes were clear and it was as if he had slept restfully.

"We'll do what we always do with the first few fights. Leona, save your mana for the latter battles and we'll make sure to give you time to cast. For the last one, Leona you concentrate on their caster and we will the others. If it gets too intense, one of the twins will jump in and help you. Alright, got it, everyone?"

"Aye aye, captain," Eros said with a grin. This only received a weary glare from Lucas.

"Your plan is sound," Leona agreed with him and so did Zeph.

"Good, then let's make this a cakewalk," Lucas finished before turning and then walking out into the arena.

Everyone else followed and the noise level increased exponentially. The announcer revved up the crowd even more causing her ears to become momentarily deaf before the large caged opening on the other side opened slowly to reveal their first fight: a woman and three guys. It was a setup that was very similar to theirs Leona realized with a sinking feeling.

"Let's get this over with!" Lucas shouted his encouragement.

Evidentially, he didn't think this one would be very difficult. For some reason, all three of the boys went for the woman first and Leona decided to cast one of her easier go-to moves.

"Lightning Rod!" she shouted.

She felt the mana shoot from her body and transform into something deadly as it struck the woman down effortlessly. The other three men on the other side had been trying to protect their caster, but the fight with the sorceress was over too soon for that to matter. Lucas and the twins turned their attention to them and Leona knew that this was what he'd been talking about by saving her mana so she allowed herself a brief respite as they finished the rest of them off. The first fight really was a cinch and so was the next one. That time she didn't even bother joining into the fray as it was an almost identical setup to last time. Seeing as Lucas didn't seem annoyed at all, she felt she'd done the right thing. _Not until later battles…_ she kept reminding herself.

The third fight were four water type creatures, one that looked like a seahorse, a larger sea creature, and two starfish looking creatures. Leona immediately grew more concerned, but judging from her companions reactions these were a joke. Leona moved into her fighting stance and decided to contribute if only to move things along faster. Lucas struck out first on the largest creature, the twins took on the starfishes and that left the seahorse for her.

It felt good to finally be using her muscles and despite her initial concerns, her swinging kicks and punches flowed smoothly without much thought. The poor creature was beaten down to a tar against her dangerous spikes and fell into a pitiful heap. It wasn't too much longer before the boys finished off their creature too. They all seemed to be faring well.

Leona grew a bit anxious when four dark, sickly looking monsters made their way into the arena—it looked to be the same monsters one might find in that forest they'd travelled through before.

"Use your magic," Lucas instructed her as the battle began.

She did just this, but she could only cast one move for one enemy at a time. Lucas took on two at once and for a moment, Leona was in awe with his prowess with a blade. He knew how to get their attention and keep it. The twins similarly distracted the other two.

"Starlight!" Leona shouted.

It was a slightly bigger move than Lightning Rod. A bright light shined above one of the creatures that Lucas was facing and then enveloped it in a pure light before dissipating—the monster died instantly. Leona hadn't actually used the move on anything living and she was surprised by how instant the death was. Immediately she felt the absence of her mana and she stumbled forward a little. _No, I still need it for the last battle…_

"Take them out quickly! Save your strength, Leona."

The twins were dealing with the odd monsters that looked similar to one another. Zeph had been parrying attacks and Eros had been successfully evading them until he was struck across the arm causing a shout from him. Lucas who had already done away with his monsters sprinted over to Eros and made quick work of the one assaulting him. His sword swung true, slicing apart the creature as if it were made out of butter; Leona was glad he was on their side. A vile blood pooled from the remains staining the ground; Leona knew why the arena looked so plain before—it was easier to clean up.

But they weren't done yet. The gates opened again and the ground began to shake as the large creature made its way out. When she heard the cry of an especially pissed animal pierce through the building, she began to tremble unconsciously.

"Is this the last fight?" Leona asked to Lucas.

"Not quite. Second to last. Are you ready?"

She didn't even bother answering him as the battle had already begun. There were two hooded men that came out along with a fully armored dragon. She could tell immediately that the two men could cast magic as they carried with them large scepters. Zeph and Eros went for them first and then Lucas engaged the dragon knight. Leona stood mutely for a moment overcome by the sheer size of the dragon. A moment later, she decided to test the waters with one of her smaller magic attacks.

"Light Ray!" she shouted.

An easily undetectable ray of light shot down from the sky and did almost nothing to the dragon. In fact, it seemed to glance off of its armor. She knew from that moment on that her magic was useless against it and that left her only one option. Her fear mounted as she moved in closer and closer to its deadly weapons, but by then Zeph and Eros had joined into the fray, their tiny blades swinging beautifully through the air—even their fighting style held finesse.

She ran around them and flanked the dragon and began her barrage of assault there. She was pounding him over and over with a plethora of kicks and punches first from the ground and then rising mid-air as she grew more excited and then finishing off with a downward stroke that sent the dragon reeling. It swiped its tail at her but she easily jumped over. She, however, had no time to evade the next tail swipe that ripped through the air towards her and with a shattering blow she was sent flying through the air not of her own accord. She hit the side of the arena and did not attempt to stand up right away.

Pain reverberated through her body and tears sprang unwarranted to her eyes. Eventually, after a moment, she did begin the ascent to her feet, but every bone in her body felt as if it had been caved in. And this was from one hit. She hadn't realized how much time she was taking to recover until Lucas stood over her with a hand held out to her. She took it and climbed unsteadily to her feet. The pain was beginning to subside, but she suspected the throbbing in her head would continue.

"Are you alright, Leona?" Lucas asked without even a hint of ridicule.

"I'll be fine once this is over. I won't abandon you all."

"You can sit this one out if you want. Your safety is more important to me than winning. Besides, I'd never hear the end of it from your mother if I brought you back in pieces."

Zeph and Eros had joined them as well forming a half–circle around her.

"That was a pretty hard hit," Zeph commented, "I thought for sure you were pancake."

"I can do this," she reassured them with finality in her voice.

It wasn't too long before the battle they'd all been waiting for began. The four people who stood before them resembled the same sort of setup as they. One of the opponents wielded an arrow as well as a sword, another was a martial artist just like her, one was a magic swordsman, and the last was the caster who could not only attack but heal as well. They were introduced as Garr, Farah, Rose, and Meredy. They each bowed graciously and though they wore pleasant smiles, she immediately became apprehensive. These were the reigning champions for a reason…

Lucas, as always, went forward first as soon as the match began. He'd marked Garr, the archer swordsman as his opponent. Eros crossed blades with Rose. This forced Zeph to focus on Farah a woman who would probably be better paired with her since they both used their fists. Out of necessity, however, Leona turned her attention to the crafty caster. Meredy was no run of the meal caster. She seemed to be able to use her mana with ease and pay attention to her comrades. Leona found that she could not stop Meredy completely from doing this—it simply took too long to cast one of her light moves and when she did, Meredy would easily evade them. It was frustrating to the point that she knew she could not fight magic with magic.

She took off running towards Meredy who began running as well.

"Two can play this game," Leona thought bitterly to herself.

Even as she ran, she was able to cast a minor fire attack at Eros which completely threw him off guard searing some of his clothing in the process. It gave Rose, Eros' opponent enough time to send a light elemental sword attack towards him cutting through his clothes and skin alike. It might have been worse had Eros not moved back a little. He cried out in pain and Leona immediately felt guilty.

_Concentrate…concentrate…_

She simply _had_ to reach the fleeing Meredy who had just then recovered Garr's health who had been dangerously close to being knocked out of commission by the ever persistent Lucas. Even Lucas was beginning to look worn out, sweat playing at his brow.

"Stop running!" Leona shouted in her frustration.

This only received a glance from Meredy and she was still just out of reach. Leona's legs pumped harder and harder until she came upon a burst of speed she did not know she had. She was about to cast another fire move but Leona tackled her to the ground and punched her thrice across the face—it was lights out for the poor magical girl. She looked over to her companions who were still fighting. Lucas had Garr on the ropes again, but with unprecedented speed, Garr whipped out an arrow and struck the other clear through the shoulder. Garr had probably hoped to slow down the anxious Lucas, but at that moment he was clearly unfazed, not at all surprised that he was bleeding out from the inflicted wound. Instead, Garr became distracted with disbelief. A single blow later, he was knocked out on the ground.

That was when Leona felt one of her legs being grasped by a hand. Her first instinct was to kick off the foreign object. She struck Meredy under her chin but not before she was able to cast a chilling ice move that rammed into her chest. She lost her breath for an agonizing second as she fell to the ground as well. She was gasping pitifully for breath now; she was sure everyone else was occupied. Then she blacked out.

* * *

AN: So, this dragged on for much longer than I thought and I just finished this today! Already starting on the next one. I think it's time I start ending every chapter with a cliffhanger…hmm…Getting to that point where things start to get interesting.

**SkyFullOfDragons**: Well, thanks for the critique though I do wish you would be more specific. I've gotten comments that there are some OOC elements in the story, but no one has told me where. This is actually my first ToS fic so any advice you can give is helpful.

That is simply my opinion on the matter that a relationship between Zelos and Raine wouldn't exactly be love at first sight. My word is not law so your sister shouldn't feel hurt by that. Due to Zelos' very nature, any relationship he has with another woman would not be easy, at least the ones you want to last. One cannot change overnight. Sheena and Raine can both get pretty violent when they want to be so it's hard to say what would be rockier. All I can tell you is that Raine is a pretty no-nonsense woman who would probably use logic before her heart to determine who she'd spend her personal time with. But this is the world of fanfiction and anything could happen. If you really feel strongly about a pairing, try writing a story yourself. Even if it's not that great in the beginning, everyone has to start somewhere. Like MixedBreedMaiya who started out shaky and only became better with each story. I totally understand what you're feeling when you like a couple and you can't find any fanfiction about it. I usually like the unpopular pairings and wound up writing something myself.

Good luck and try to stay positive. You've gone through some difficult things in life, but I'm sure it's made you a stronger person.

**ApplejackFan-Ema**: Perhaps I'll see you here again in the future. You don't have to completely adore the pairings to like this story. It's not exactly focused on romance. I have a pretty grand adventure planned.

**Keko-the-Hybrid**: I completely agree with you! I've finally realized that it's impossible to please everyone. There are far too many potential pairings that would not all comprehensibly fit into this story unless I have all the characters cheating on each other and that would be pretty OOC.

Thanks for telling me about your thoughts on Raine announcing to everyone she was pregnant. I pretty much hinted that she, in fact, tried to keep her first pregnancy a secret and how much of a hassle it was. Why go through all that again? Might as well rip the bandage off quickly instead of slowly. A practical solution in my book. I never thought about it that way, however, that she was trying to take some of the attention off of Leona. It was unintentional on my part, but it certainly fits.

**EvaS**: It's a Regaine fic not Railloyd since you were complaining about the pairing. I've never looked up the pairing you're talking about, but this site has a very good search engine on it. I'm sure you'll find something you'll like up here…just not from me. Thanks for reading and your support!

**MacinJack**: You mean you really like reading this? Thank you for the vote of confidence! You're going to be in for a treat with this one. I do hope to arrive at an adequate end to this particular fic.

**Yocrazyroomie**: Crazy roommate is crazy. Brought a genuine smile to my face, girl.


	11. Going Home

Chapter 11: Going Home

A white tiled ceiling stared down at her. She had a vague understanding that she was in a hospital, but she had no idea how she had gotten there. Soon, an even bigger question came to mind—had they won?

"Leona, you're awake," came the relieved voice of Lucas.

She turned her head towards where she'd heard the voice. A bright eyed Lucas stood beside her bed. Despite having his arm in a sling, he appeared quite well. When Leona tried to sit up, her body protested and she ceased her efforts.

"I was like that the first time I went through an entire tournament. It can be trying. In training, when you get tired, you can rest, but in a tournament there's no such thing. You don't notice because of the adrenaline, but when it's over, you feel all of it."

"It takes some getting used to," Leona agreed. "Has anyone ever told you how great a swordsman you are? I was really impressed by you out there. First one to strike, first one to finish off your opponent. I'm glad you're on my side."

His cheeks turned slightly rose colored, "I've…gotten that a lot, but hearing it from you is a far greater reward. But I could not have won anything were it not for everyone else. You held your own out there. Your skills with martial arts is perhaps even better than your casting."

"How can you say that when I allowed Meredy to still heal and attack?"

"She had to work hard for those moments. She's a very experienced caster and that's all she has to fall back on unlike you. Meredy could make or break a fight. Your contribution was the reason we were able to win."

"So we _did_ win," Leona said, realization clearly in her tone.

"You were hit with a nasty ice attack from Meredy—her last that day. After that, Eros and Zeph finished off their opponents. We ultimately won. We split the reward four ways and from the items we won, one is best suited for you and the other for me."

"The reward? Well, I suppose I'm fine with whatever item it was, but you can keep the money, I don't need it. Besides, you probably—"

"Don't insult me," he said turning away from her. "This is something that you've earned from your hard work. No one but you should have it. I know it's just a drop in the bucket for someone like you, but," for this he turned to look at her again, "this should mean more to you than something that was simply given to you. Have some pride in your own abilities. True independence is being able to take care of yourself."

"I see," she said looking down. "But then how can one be independent when they have friends?"

"Ah, well, that's different."

"Different how?" Leona inquired.

Lucas scratched the back of his head and then sighed, "Leona, this is not the time to get into yet another philosophical discussion with you. I'm tired, you're tired and we should all just be happy we came out on top," he said wearily.

"I suppose," Leona said relenting from her line of questioning, though she was still curious about it. "Did you break your arm?" she asked noting the sling.

"Oh this? My arm is fine, it's just that they don't want me to further injure my shoulder with unnecessary movement. I think it'd be a good idea for all of us to fully recover here before setting out again."

"The other two, are they okay?" Leona asked.

"Surface wounds. We were all actually just waiting for you to wake. They've been patched up and staying at the hotel."

All was as it should be, Leona thought to herself when she heard the news. She no longer had cause to worry and her eyelids were becoming heavy again. She still felt exhausted and her body fell into a sweet, aching pain—the kind she was familiar with after a good, punishing workout. Her world went dark again, but not in the same jarring way as before. She thought she heard a voice as she slept. A woman's voice, dark and foreboding:

_The seed that saved the world will destroy it._

* * *

Leona received 25,000 Gald in total from her winnings and a Star Cloak. She had to admit that the hits she'd received from her opponents while wearing her other cloak had been subdued so she readily put these on as she travelled back with the group. They took a well-deserved carriage ride to the Meltokion port and then relaxed on the ship ride back to Sybak.

The entire trip was a blur in Leona's opinion. It was full of conversation and laughter. They were in high spirits and all the things that had annoyed them before about each other was set on the backburner. Leona felt a closer bond with them. They'd really fought together and not only that but they had been effective as well—they made a good team.

When they arrived in Mizuho once again and trekked back to the twins' house, they found Sheena there. The first thing that Zeph did upon seeing her was hug her outright. He was a head taller than her so he was able to embrace her in the same way he'd done Leona, but this felt far more intimate and Sheena was brought to tears as a result—glad that they were home safe and sound, even more that they had actually won.

Leona secretly wondered where Zelos was, but she rightly assumed that such a question would serve only to ruin the mood. Sheena insisted that they stay awhile instead of heading out so quickly; Lucas and Leona were hard pressed to deny her.

The achiness in her muscles were just beginning to subside on the night she decided to do as she usually did at night time at her own house: eavesdrop. It was a little harder to sneak down wooden stairs, but she managed. Immediately when she stepped onto the first floor she heard voices coming from the living room. She had to move painfully close to their position to even hear their soft voices.

"Is this what I should expect from now on? You vanishing without a trace, without even telling me? The kids are back, you know. Luckily no one asked for you because then I'd have to lie about it or else look like the fool for not knowing where my own husband is."

"Listen, I'm sorry—

"You're going to have to try harder than that."

"I needed to clear my head—

"For two days? Let me know if I'm boring you to death."

"No, it's not that," he said wearily.

"Well then, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"After that time before, I thought you needed some space so I gave it to you."

"Is that really what you think? I need _space_. Without you here, I'm just living in an empty house. I didn't decide to marry you because I thought I needed space. You silly man, you have no idea what I need."

"I think I have some inkling…"

"Good. Don't abandon me like that again."

Zelos paused before speaking again. "So the kids are really back. That's why you're in a good mood."

"I'd be in an even _better_ mood if…"

Her words became muffled then as she heard movement on the couch indicative of something more intimate occurring. Leona felt far more embarrassed here than she had sneaking up on her own parents so at this point she tiptoed back upstairs to the room she'd been sharing with Lucas.

"Had your fill?" Lucas asked startling her when she thought she'd successfully made it back on the bed without making too much noise.

"What do you mean?"

"Looks like even you have a bit of a dark side—if one can call it that."

"It's harmless and I was just curious. Were you awake this whole time?"

"Yes, actually."

"And you said nothing?"

"Maybe I was just curious," he replied nonchalantly, copying her reasoning. "I guess it's been difficult for me to fall asleep lately."

"I've noticed. You're always so eager to keep watch, but then you've been like that."

"So, did you learn anything interesting down there?"

"Not…really. Sheena and Zelos just have…an odd relationship."

"Define normal."

"Well, odd to me," Leona clarified. "I can't tell if they really like each other or not. I suppose I don't have enough information."

"No one can tell anything about those two. I remember Dad told me how surprised he was to learn that they were getting married in the first place."

"I don't know if I'd want a relationship like that. I'd want something more stable and constant and…"

"Boring," Lucas finished. This received a frown from Leona.

"Peaceful," she said finding the word.

"Well, does love fit anywhere into your equation?"

"I mean that's a given."

"Yeah, but it's not a word you used to describe a relationship. There has to be love first and foremost. What's the use of stability and consistency if there's no love?"

"That's a valid point."

"It's just…I see my parents and they're the most lovey-dovey people you'll ever meet—it's annoying to have to see all the time, but it's kind of cute. They don't hide anything, they're very…open about everything. I've seen them kiss more times than I can count. It's abundantly obvious to me why they have so many kids—

"Lucas!"

"It's true." Leona could almost see him shrugging through the dark.

"And that's the kind of relationship that you want?" Leona asked.

"I'm not sure. No one is ever sure until they're actually in one. You can guess and suppose all you like but you may find yourself in a completely different situation and you might wound up liking it."

"Somehow that sounds highly improbably. Where did you hear that?"

"Something Dad told me."

"The guy you keep calling an idiot?"

"He has his moments."

Leona finally laid back on her bed. "Well, I'm going to sleep."

"Have fun with that."

"A simple good night, would do."

Lucas waited a moment before replying: "Good night."

Leona thought she would go to sleep, but, of course, she didn't because this was a new bed and it was not outside camping. Her eyes remained staring at the darkened ceiling.

"You asleep?" Lucas asked.

"Not really," Leona replied with a sigh. "I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight."

"The bed uncomfortable?" he asked.

"No, it's very comfortable. It's just…new. I'm not very good with new environments."

"I see…"

"Do you? Or are you just saying things?"

"I do. I understand. You're not used to traveling and even if you are in a safe place, you still feel on alert. Everything is foreign. I bet if you had your own bedding, you'd fall right to sleep, wouldn't you?"

"It's likely."

"Well, we have a lot of traveling to do tomorrow. A good night's rest is paramount."

"I know."

They were silent for a while longer. Leona had decided to close her eyes to simulate sleeping, but it felt as if she was staring at the back of her eyelids.

"Perhaps if I—

"No, there's nothing you could do to help. I'll be fine. I'm sure after a time, I'll fall asleep on my own," Leona interrupted him.

"Sorry, if I'm prying too much."

"No, I should be apologizing—I was being brusque."

She sighed as she heard the other shift positions in his bed and then sit up completely. She glanced over at his darkened form—was he looking at her?

"Let me sing you a lullaby."

"A lullaby?" Leona asked caught off guard.

"Geez, you make it sound like it's a horrible idea."

"I mean, but that only works on babies."

"It works on all ages, trust me. Now just…close your eyes."

"Alright…"

Leona wasn't sure what to expect from the other, but certainly not what she heard next. As soon as he began, she was struck by how pitch perfect his gentle voice sounded. It was quite pleasing to the ears. It wasn't a voice that needed blaring guitars or backup singers…it was beautiful all on its own and it was incomparable to anything she'd heard before.

_Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby_

_Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay_

_And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow_

_Bless you with love for the road that you go_

She didn't want to open her eyes as she began to relax, but she did peek just to make sure that it was in fact Lucas across from her. All she could see was his silhouette. She couldn't see his eyes nor his expression.

_May you sail far to the far fields of fortune_

_With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet_

_And may you need never to banish misfortune_

_May you find kindness in all that you meet_

_May there always be angels to watch over you_

_To guide you each step of the way_

_To guard you and keep you safe from all harm_

_Loo-li, loo-li, lai-lay…_

There was more, but his voice became distant and echoic. She could no longer make out the words, but it was comforting all the same. She wasn't sure when the night passed, but when she awoke it was late morning and when she looked to where Lucas had laid he was no longer there.

She sat up in slight confusion. The strangeness from the last night made her wonder if she'd awoken the next day or days later. Whatever the case, she felt well rested. She couldn't remember the last time she'd slept so deeply or woken at such a late hour of the morning. Had his angelic voice held magic within it? She shook her head at the ridiculous thought.

There was a knock at her open door and when she looked up she saw Lucas standing there in the doorway.

"Well, well, is my princess finally ready for travel?"

"I…suppose I am," Leona replied, "But I'm not _your_ princess."

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked with feigned confusion.

"You know what I'm talking about," she said with a frown.

"Clearly, you must have misheard. Join me downstairs when you're ready."

Before she could say anything more, he disappeared from the door and Leona decided not to pursue the subject. Perhaps it had simply been a slip of the tongue. Eventually, she climbed out of bed, cleaned herself in the bathroom, gathered her things, and joined the other downstairs. A slightly cold breakfast was waiting for her and Lucas patiently waited for her to finish.

The house felt empty and quiet as if it was still early morning, but Lucas explained that none of the residents of the house were early birds. Was it okay to simply leave them without saying "goodbye"? It wasn't a big deal to Lucas. They knew they would be leaving today. The rest was merely formalities.

They left promptly and after they exited the lonely trail that led to the main part of the village, Leona was once again in a world full of life. The denizens of the village were wide awake and already making headway into their daily activities. Children going off to class. Folks shopping and tending their garden. It was quite lively. It left her with a positive feeling after they passed through and went onto open road.

They would have to go through the forest again, but Leona felt that she was ready. When they reached it in the afternoons, they decided to simply run through nonstop. Lucas didn't lift her up this time and Leona was able to keep good pace with the other. They rested for a while outside of the dark forest to catch their breaths and then they were off again.

When night fell, they camped very near Altamira, but not close enough to travel for another hour through the pitch darkness. Leona fell asleep easily that night without any assistance as she had been tired out enough from all the walking. Lucas, as usual, kept watch. She might have complained had Lucas showed more signs of sleep deprivation like rings under the eyes, paler skin, or just an overall look of tiredness, but he seemed fine and energetic. Besides, part of the condition of winning the tournament was that he would freely allow her mother to look him over. Tomorrow, all her questions about his wellbeing would be answered.

At the crack of dawn, she was woken by Lucas much to her annoyance. They were so close to Altamira that she no longer felt as if she was in a rush. Since she was awake, however, she grudgingly readied herself for the rest of the journey. Perhaps he was just eager to reach the city.

"All last night, I felt that something was watching us," Lucas explained to the slightly groggy Leona.

That statement alone perked her up. "Something? Do you know what it is?"

"No idea."

"Well did you see anything?"

"No—

"Then how do you know we were being watched?"

"It's just a feeling, alright?"

Then Leona sighed unwilling to further explain how absurd and illogical it all sounded. "Fine. We'll be back home soon enough. I'm sure whatever's watching us out here won't come into a populated city."

"I…hope you're right."

Leona felt no sense of foreboding as they started off again, but she did begin to sense Lucas' uneasiness. Though she had quickly wrote him off, she did respect the fact that there were some things that he was far more knowledgeable about than her. One of those things was the outside world and when to be cautious. He'd not been wrong about the dark forest and the precise moment when a monster would pounce on her.

He was looking upward now and out of curiosity her eyes travelled there too. Her eyes grew big as a dark flying creature that appeared to come out nowhere descended upon them.

"Move back!" Lucas shouted and Leona did just this.

When Leona was able to make out the creature she realized that it came from the same ilk as the other pitch black insect-like creatures. This one appeared more like an oversized house fly.

"We can take it," Leona reassured the other.

She never imagined that she'd be the one reassuring the other in battle. He always seemed at home when it came to fighting, but now he seemed…frightened. Was this monster different from the others? Was she missing something?

"It can fly. I can't attack flying targets so well," he began.

"I have magic, but more than that, I have just the move to bring it down to size. Ready your blade."

Leona was already running forth, one move firmly set in her mind.

"Eagle Dive!" she shouted as her strong legs propelled her far enough into the sky to knock down the hovering insect.

"Take him now!" Leona shouted to the oddly hesitating Lucas.

He seemed to snap out of his reverie as she yelled at him and he sprang forth with all the fervor in the world. There was that vicious blade she was used to, striking unremorsefully through flesh and guts. The battle came to a close soon.

Just like before, the monster burst into countless swirling dark speckles and then they all dived into Lucas as if drawn. It happened in a second. He cried out in pain, dropped to his knees, but there was no struggle afterwards. He did not gasp for breath or tremble from the excruciating pain, he simply lost consciousness altogether. Leona might have ran towards him had a throbbing headache not wracked her head at the same moment enough to stop her in her tracks.

Her vision was blurring as her feet still struggled to move closer to his unmoving form. A dark shadow began to form near him and it took shape slowly. A woman with a long flowing dress yet it had no distinguishable features.

"No! Get away from him!" she shouted.

She forced her legs to move faster though she felt her movements were still sluggish despite her determination. Where in the world had this headache come from? The dark shadow bent down preparing to lift him into her arms.

"Don't touch him!"

The shadow seemed to acknowledge her as it stopped its actions. "Peace child, let the seed bear fruit."

The wind began to pick up whipping her hair back, whipping her entire body back. Her frustration at her inability to understand or even stop what was happening boiled into anger.

"Let him go!"

It was perhaps the quickest casting time she'd ever been able to pull off. She felt the mana leave her body and without even shouting what move she was doing, a light struck down from the heavens and crashed into the shadow. All within a second, the wind ceased, the shadow disappeared. Everything was as it was.

Her headache had subsided and finally her sluggish legs were able to move properly. She didn't have time to assess his condition as she hoisted him into her strong arms. He wasn't too heavy for her. She'd be able to make a break for Altamira and reach her house within the hour.

Now she was running at break speed, passing through the front gate, ignoring the gawking passersby, past hotels and shopping center, finally into the residential sector where her house lied. When she reached her doorsteps completely out of breath, she banged on the door. Then she stopped when her fatigued mind shouted at her that she had a key. She shifted Lucas in her arms so that she could free one hand, but even as she did so, the door opened to reveal her mother and she was very concerned.

"Lucas, he's been hurt! We fought something and it caused him to black out and there was this shadow woman who wanted to take him and—

"Calm down, honey. Bring him to the guest room and we'll start from the beginning. We'll solve this together."

Leona took a deep breath and then nodded. "Alright."

It took another thirty minutes to tell her mother the events in full. All the while, her mother was looking him over trying to find any anomalies within him. Even before she finished her story, however, Leona knew with a sinking feeling that her mother had not been able to find anything wrong.

"I believe you, honey, I believe every word you've just told me. Martel knows I've seen stranger things, but whatever has happened to him is beyond my skills of healing. I'm sorry. Perhaps he's exhausted and needs rest. You said he's been having trouble resting, right? We'll wait until tomorrow morning to see if anything's changed before we raise any alarm with his parents."

Leona could only nod. She wished she had the ability to heal. She wished she could see what her mother could see and be as confident as her that there truly was nothing more they could do. When her mother left the room, she stayed there and watched him waiting for that moment when he would open his eyes and tell her how he was "fine" despite everything.

He seemed peaceful enough, his head was turned from her and he breathed easily. He did not have a fever and he did not seem to be having some horrid dream. She would hate to think that he was somehow trapped in his own mind and forced to live through nightmare after nightmare.

She waited and waited and finally drifted off on her own. She only woke up at night and when she did, she realized she was in her bed. Someone must have brought her there, probably her father. Without hesitation, she climbed downstairs and into the guest room, but Lucas' condition hadn't changed in the least. He still breathed, but he was unresponsive. With a sigh, she left the room and went out to her garden.

There were certain flowers that only bloomed at night. She supposed tonight was as good a night as ever to see them. Gently, she slid open the back door and then went out into her very own garden. It always felt like another world when she stepped into it. The sweet smells of the flowers filled her nose and she felt herself relaxing. She hadn't been able to do that for a while now, she realized. Worrying about Lucas had begun to take its toll. There was a solution to every problem, she believed, so there would be one for this one as well, she simply had to find it.

The bright blue colors of the Four O'clocks and the pearly whites of the Casablanca Lilies caught her eye and she touched their delicate petals carefully, they were finely furred yet alive and rubbery. She only realized that there was another presence in her garden when she happened to turn around to investigate her other flowers. She gasped when she saw who it was.

"Lucas! You're alright!"

"I've never felt better," he replied offhandedly.

His tone gave her pause and the way he looked at her…it began to send shivers down her back. She was alone here in this garden at night time no less. Those pale blue eyes, why did they feel so icy all of a sudden?

"These," he said strangely. His eyes were looking at a particular row of purple tulips. "are quite beautiful, don't you agree?"

Leona didn't know what to say. She was overcome with muteness. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was this still a dream? Could this really be Lucas? She watched as he bent down to smell them. His fingers lightly touched the lip of the petals and slowly a dark liquid began to ooze from its core falling onto the floor, then it drooped, grayed, and vanished into a fine gray mist.

"What have you—"

Leona could hardly finish her sentence before her eyes began to witness the same effect with the rest of the flowers there. All within a short moment, they had vanished. The air was filled with the fine mist. She was too shocked to say a word to the mysterious boy who looked at her with unfathomable eyes.

"The poor flower girl has no flowers—how will she bloom now?"

"Lucas…"

"Do me a favor. Where I go, do not follow."

He turned from her and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

The same wind from before started up again and she followed him out of the garden and into the backyard. There she was, the shadow lady from before holding out a hand. She instinctively knew it was for him.

"Lucas, stop!"

To her amazement he did stop and looked at her once again.

"What are you doing? That's the same lady who wanted to take you before. I saved you and now…"

"I understand my role now. You asked me before what I would do if I was charged with protecting the world."

"Yes, you said you wouldn't accept—it'd be a fool's errand."

"I was wrong."

With this, he turned and took the woman's hand and in a flash of white light, they were gone.

"Lucas!" she started to yell unable to comprehend what had just happened.

She was screaming hysterically now until she felt large arms wrap around her, but she didn't want to be held, she thrashed in whoever's grasp she was in and then ran inside the house. She ran to the guest's room and found the bed to be utterly empty.

Something about the bed's emptiness was able to calm her as she gazed at it. Finally, she sat down despondently on the edge of it. Her hands felt the fleeting warmth of the boy who had laid there. She was vaguely aware of her father in the doorway. She knew he wouldn't say a word unless she did so first.

"He's gone," she said hoarsely, "I'm not sure what happened. A woman took him and went with her willingly. I just don't…"

"We'll find him again. Whether it be by natural or supernatural means, he must at least be here in this world. Though I've never once encountered anything quite like you described. It must be some form of magic we've not seen before."

"Is that even possible? I thought you've seen everything."

"Not by a longshot. In fact, there are probably more things I haven't seen than I have. Even your mother as much as she reads, as vast as her knowledge is, does not know everything or has seen everything."

"I see…"

"While the trail is still yet fresh, we should begin our search here in this city."

"Right now?" Leona asked.

"We have no idea if he's far from here or close by. Let's at least make sure it's not the latter."

Leona followed her father outside and to the Rheaird. She realized as they flew out that they'd never flown so close to the ground, but her father seemed unconcerned with that. They went down all the main streets and then meticulously down all the side streets even streets that she had no idea existed. Then again, she supposed she should not have been too surprised that her father knew the city well like the back of his hand. He required no maps even in the dead of night. It was probably quite impossible for him to become lost—she certainly was.

They travelled the city in roughly three hours and then rounded back to their house. All the while she began to feel how hopeless their task really was. Lucas could be anywhere. The shadow lady could have taken him anywhere and for Martel knows what reason. When she was standing outside after climbing off the Rheaird, she certainly felt utter defeat in the air. Her father returned after putting up the vehicle and he stood somewhere near her.

"I have a feeling he's nowhere in this city. I know we didn't check inside of buildings, but there aren't many places they could hide without raising some alarm especially in this city."

"I don't see how we could ever find him." She turned to her father then. "There's one minor detail I forgot to add. He left with that woman willingly, without any remorse."

"That doesn't sound like him at all."

"You don't believe me?"

"Of course I do. He's given quite a lot of freedom because of how much Lloyd trusts him and anyone could see why. He has a good head on his shoulder and he's very responsible. Leaving without saying a word to anyone is not in his character. I would think that he was influenced somehow by some outside force."

"Well…he was acting strangely. Something was different about him. I couldn't quite put my hand on it, but I know I was a bit…scared of him."

"Did he hurt you?" her father asked immediately, approaching her all the while.

"No, no, nothing like that. I just felt uneasy. I'm fine, really."

"There isn't much to go off of, but he does appear to be in trouble. I think it's time we informed Lloyd about the situation," her father said with a sigh.

"You only sigh like that when you think something is absolutely unnecessary—_shouldn't_ we tell his father?"

"Yes, but, no father wants to learn that their child is lost without a trace. It would have been nice to avoid all the heartache, but it would also be cruel to simply withhold such information. Better to get this over with as quickly as possible. We'll leave tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Leona asked.

"Is there a problem?"

"Well, it's just…what about your work?"

"What about my work?" he returned in a mysterious manner.

Leona knew that tone well. It was his version of teasing, but she didn't think it was an appropriate time for that sort of thing. Then again if she wound up asking too many questions her father would always become frustratingly evasive. It wasn't as if his work was top secret. She'd gone in with him to the office several times before and he'd explained to her in detail the sort of things he did there. Her conclusion? He simply did not feel like explaining. Yet she continued in her line of thinking.

"You can't just leave arbitrarily. There's this whole process you have to go through—

"When it comes to my friends, such matters become trivial. It's not something you need to worry about."

"Then why don't we wake up mother and go now?"

"Because there isn't enough friendship in the world that could convince me to wake that woman when she really wants to sleep. Trust me, it's better to avoid a pissed Raine these days. And, no, before you ask should we go without her—that would be worse." Her father gestured for her to follow him as he moved towards the entrance to the house. "Don't worry, Leona. One way or another, we will resolve this."

* * *

AN: I know, I know, I was late, but my schedule at work has changed and I now have another job that requires I work early in the morning. So my off days are now Sunday and Monday. That will be the days you should now be looking forward to me uploading. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter as well. The plot is slowly beginning to thicken…

Also, the song used in this chapter is **Sleepsong** by **Secret Garden**. You can look this one up on Youtube as well if you're interested in how it goes. I think it was very fitting here in this story.

**7Moons:** Your glowing review just makes me want to write even more. I can't wait until you see what I have in store for this one!


	12. Journey's Eve

Chapter 12: Journey's Eve

They left for Lloyd's house the very next day. Her mother was quite adamant about coming with them. The mere thought of leaving her behind was practically ludicrous. Her father didn't even begin to try to talk her out of it although Leona suspected that he might have wanted to.

Leona noticed that her mother was quicker to anger. Any gentlemanly thing her father did for her was interpreted as trying to baby her or somehow treating her differently due to her pregnancy. It was a completely illogical sentiment especially since these were activities that her father always did habitually. She must have been just like this when she was pregnant with her—she felt for her father. It was also a testament to his patience. She often wondered where his limits were. As long as she'd known him, she'd never seen him reach them.

It was still morning when they arrived at Lloyd and Colette's house. Surprisingly enough, the house was full of activity, the remaining kids still living there going about their chores. Lloyd wasn't there, unfortunately. He'd started out bright and early on some errand or other. Colette was hard at work compiling a list of necessary groceries needed for the house.

Perhaps it was for the best that both parents weren't there to hear the news. Leona found herself reciting the same story she'd told her father, but it was different when it was to Lucas' mother. She spared her no detail and she could barely stand to look Colette in the eyes.

"My goodness," Colette said after she took a moment to soak in the information, "He's always been so closemouthed when it comes to asking for help. He could be anywhere. I haven't the slightest clue where to start looking for him."

It wasn't a question of whether or not they should even begin looking for him, but rather where they should start looking.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," her mother said to the worry-stricken Colette. "We know that Lucas has been showing these odd symptoms whenever he fights certain creatures, dark particles are somehow drawn to him. I suspect those are the very essence of the creature that was just defeated. Has anyone seen such creatures before? Any that you might have seen close to the house? Perhaps they were specifically targeting him."

Colette shook her head. "I haven't seen anything like that around here. Then again…I'm not always with him. Well, you know how boys get—they like to do things on their own especially hunting. Used to be we would go out together all the time, but lately…"

"Who knows how long this phenomenon has been happening?" her mother said. "Leona might have stumbled upon it happenstance. But those three times may not have been the only time it has occurred."

"And I missed all of that?" Colette asked wondrously. "He always looked fine, acted like himself, nothing out of the ordinary." She was clearly perplexed by the circumstances.

"Let's wait until Lloyd gets back. He may know something we don't," Regal said.

"Indeed," her mother said agreeing with him unquestioningly. She took a seat now at the same table that Colette was sitting. "He may be able to shed some light on the situation."

Leona was immediately struck by how easily the adults had simply assumed that Lloyd should have all the answers. It made no sense. If Colette is here more than Lloyd than he probably knew even less. Yet they were settled in their decision to wait for his return. Was she missing something?

They seemed at ease. They started talking about the kids, how has it been going lately, etc…What happened to the sense of urgency? Anything could be happening to Lucas and…

"Leona, why don't you go check and see what the kids are doing? I know you're worried about Lucas, but there is little we can do at this point," her father said to her.

Of course her father must have noticed her festering frustrations and he essentially told her that her presence was no longer needed. At least that's how she interpreted it. Wordlessly, she left them to their fireside chat and went looking for Ludovic, Cecil, and Cathe. She hoped to run into Cathe first, but instead, she stumbled upon Ludovic who evidentially was done with his chores for the day. He sat on the porch on the swinging chair.

He was writing something in a notepad. He would write a few words, pause, look to the skies thoughtfully and then begin writing again. Leona stood there watching him for a good minute and he failed to notice her.

"Hi, Ludovic," Leona said.

He was clearly startled, comically so, much to Leona's amusement. She hadn't known a way to get his attention without startling him. He dropped his pen and almost his notebook.

"H-Hi," he replied shyly but politely.

She still couldn't make out his eyes and now he was looking down again.

"What are you doing?" Leona asked with innocent curiosity.

"Umm…writing…" he answered her.

"Well, I know that much," Leona said. She felt quite bold around him, perhaps she was feeding off his timidity. She strolled across the porch and sat down beside him without further ado. He seemed to stiffen in her presence. "What about?"

Leona half expected him to hide it, but he let out a resigned sigh, "I was writing a song for Lucas to sing to me."

"Oh? You do that a lot?"

"Everyone knows he can sing, but…he won't do it in front of people."

"You mean to tell me that he's too shy to do it?" Leona asked. That didn't seem right at all. Especially considering that he had no qualms doing such things for her not too long ago.

Ludovic simply nodded.

"But then why are you writing a song that you'll never hear?"

"I won a bet."

"Another bet…" Leona said starting to see a kind of pattern with his behavior. "What kind of bet?"

"Well…" Ludovic said looking away, "He made me promise not tell anyone about it."

"It's not anything bad, is it?" Leona asked.

"No, just embarrassing…for him at least. So now, he has to sing a song of my choosing."

Leona couldn't figure out just what Ludovic must have been better than Lucas at doing. She realized then that she knew almost nothing about him. Maybe…

"Anything that you're particularly good at?" Leona asked.

She saw the end of his mouth curve up a bit. "A sudden interest in me…is very suspicious. I'll tell you what I like to do…"

_Perhaps it was a bit too on the nose…_

"Writing," he began slowly, "Helping people, and, well, I've always wanted to start my own garden…just like you."

"Starting a garden? Well, that's easy. You just have to do a bit of research first, find the seeds you want, a little soil and viola, you have yourself a garden."

"But…where would I find seeds?"

"Catalogs. And then you just have to get someone to order it for you."

"Is it…expensive?"

"Sometimes, but no it usually isn't. You know what you want to grow?"

Ludovic shook his head. "I like all flowers the same. Each one has its own unique beauty."

"You've seen all flowers?" Leona asked.

Ludovic shook his head, "I've not seen one that I dislike… I doubt I ever will."

"What about tulips? You think those are pretty, right? You even gave me a pendant."

"I got that for you, it was your birthday. Nothing to do with me. I know that _you_ really like those particular flowers."

"So it was true when you said you'd see me looking out to the garden…"

Ludovic only nodded.

"You're a very observing person."

"People tell me that a lot."

Leona sat back on the swing and then looked upwards. "Notice anything odd about Lucas?"

"Yes…"

"Well?" Leona asked when he didn't expound.

"We share the same room so I know if he's sleeping or not…and he hasn't been, at least not uninterrupted. He has these nightmares whenever he manages to sleep…and he gets all feverous. Told me not tell anyone."

"How long has that been happening?"

"For almost a year…"

"What?" Leona said caught off guard. "For that long?"

Ludovic simply nodded. "He tells me about his dreams, about a shadow woman who follows him wherever he goes, inescapable. Sometimes she's not following him, sometimes she simply talks to him. He's needed for something, but she's never clear on just what, but it feels urgent. It's weird because she's not actually talking…it's like sensing her intentions. Something is wrong, something is dreadfully wrong at least that what she tells him if nothing is done soon…and he starts to suffocate, or maybe he's stabbed repeatedly, or maybe he's falling off some cliff…in some way he dies then he wakes up."

"Does the shadow woman have a name?" Leona asked.

He shook his head "no".

"Ludovic, that woman is real and she's kidnapped him for some reason."

Leona couldn't tell if the other was shocked by the news, but he looked up at her now, his head tilted upward towards her. "Do you think…?"

"No," Leona said shaking her head, "Don't even say it. It wouldn't make sense for this person to go through all that trouble only to do that at the end. Besides, it's starting to make a little more sense to me now. Lucas mentioned he knew his role now and that woman has been trying to communicate with him for quite some time. This was the end result. He must have accepted whatever she needed for him to do."

"We need to find him…" Ludovic said with more emphasis in his voice than usual.

"He's not in danger of dying—

"He's alone with someone he barely even knows. He must be terrified…He's not in his right mind. He would not simply leave without telling anyone. He would have told you out of all people…but he didn't."

"Me out of all people?"

Ludovic shook his head. "You're…um…friends with him, right?"

"Oh, I see."

The side of his mouth curved up again and Leona still wasn't able to interpret such subtle expressions from him.

"There he is," Ludovic said pointing.

Leona looked up suddenly expecting to see Lucas for some reason, but instead it was Lloyd. Ludovic had already set down his pen and paper and was traversing down the three steps of the porch. It must have been something that happened regularly because Lloyd had already stopped his advance for the rushing Ludovic who was soon hugging him outright. She could hear Lloyd's excited voice from here and they were well into a conversation by the time they made it to the porch.

"Aw man, we really need to cut your hair, kiddo."

Leona watched as Lloyd ran a hand through his ridiculously long bangs pushing it away from his forehead and just like that she could finally lay eyes on his face, a face that was quite similar to his father, Leona realized immediately. Identical eye color, the way he smiled which both were doing at the moment—it was an interesting revelation. But Ludovic was quickly trying to brush his bangs back down again much to Lloyd's amusement.

"You little devil, I bet you've been doing all sorts of things to make your mom forget about cutting your hair. _I_ won't forget, however. By tonight if she doesn't get around to it, you'll just have to suffice with me doing it."

"But…you can't even cut a straight line!"

Lloyd laughed at this. "That's right. You'll either have a good haircut or an embarrassing one—the choice is yours."

One could see the horror in Ludovic's eyes and for a moment, at least, she felt for his predicament. Then again, having hair covering up most of his face was a bit ridiculous…

"Leona!" Lloyd said suddenly noticing, "What a surprise. You came all the way out here by yourself? I can't imagine either of your parents being okay with that come to think of it."

"No, they're here too," Leona clarified, "We came on a Rheaird."

"Oh? Even better. What's the occasion? I haven't seen Regal out of the office since your birthday. Wait, is it a holiday or something? I totally forgot—

"No, no, it's something really…important. You should go in, they'll fill you in."

Lloyd's smile suddenly became more somber as she spoke and his eyebrows creased just a bit. Somehow she must have given something away from her tone of voice.

"Well, alright, let's go see what the issue is," he said stepping over to the door and opening it easily. Perhaps the door was never locked.

Leona and Ludovic followed him through to the dining room where the three other adults sat. Though they wanted to see how Lloyd was doing first, he wanted to cut right to the chase. There was something wrong and Lloyd wanted to know everything. This time Regal was retelling what Leona had already said twice much to her relief. Still, however, after all was said aloud, she found herself looking at Lloyd. Who knew one's eyes could become so…intense? It wasn't in any accusing way, but she did feel a bit self-conscious. No one had to tell her twice, he wanted to take action. He wanted to come up with a plan in that instant. He wanted to do a lot of things all at once.

"Is there anything else you can think of that might help us?" Lloyd asked her.

Then she told them the conclusions she'd drawn from Ludovic earlier and finally, she spoke of Clarion. She hadn't thought of it until now because that woman had clearly been focused on her, but perhaps she was connected.

"Wait, that's wrong," Lloyd said as she said aloud the prophecy. Everyone was looking at Lloyd now wondering how he would know such things. "No, it goes, the seed of the one who saved the world will destroy it."

"Now where did you hear that?" Regal asked.

Lloyd looked at the other for a moment before responding. "It was just a dream. Well, many dreams on many occasions, but after a while, I never had it again."

"After awhile? When exactly?" Regal questioned.

"If I'm not mistaken, when Colette was first pregnant. It's been awhile, I know, but I remember it as clear as day."

"Perhaps that holds some significance," Raine said, "But in any case your version makes more sense. Maybe this Clarion was intentionally withholding information. Taken into account what we know about the dreams Lucas was having, this so-called prophecy was speaking of Lucas."

"But we all know that it wasn't just 'one'. It was all of us."

"My experience with prophecies is that they're rarely perfect and they're always extremely vague. Take them with a grain of salt," Raine said. "Elven prophecies, anyways."

"And do you recognize this one?" Lloyd asked.

"You heard one, you've heard them all. This one stinks of elven influence. It makes reference to a seed, a nature-based metaphor as opposed to coming out and simply saying child."

"And elven prophecies concern humans as well?" Regal asked.

Raine shook her head. "That's where I'm most puzzled. Those prophecies are supposed to exclusively be about elves. It could just be a coincidence, pure and simple. This shadow lady may well be an elf throwing in prophecies for theatrics, perhaps misleading her true intentions."

"Clarion could be the same shadow lady. Is that possible from what they look like?" Lloyd asked to Leona.

"They're both women, both seem like their heights are similar—it could be…" Leona answered.

"Though this still doesn't tell us where we should be investigating first."

"I would say Heimdall, but there's no way they'd allow any humans to enter their settlement. Regal feels sure that Lucas is no longer in Altamira."

"If we don't know where to start, then we look everywhere," Lloyd said as if it was the most obvious plan in the world.

"That would require a bit more…manpower," Raine said looking at him incredulously.

"What do we have to lose? We might stumble upon something else along the way."

"I think we all know what we're going to do next," Regal said.

"Let's hope everyone's up for the impossible task of searching everywhere for a needle in a haystack," Raine said sardonically.

It was amazing to Leona how her parents who were perhaps the most logical people she'd ever met, agree with Lloyd's farfetched plan with little fuss. Anyone else, and her mother would be chewing that person out for the lack of forethought.

"Still easier than bringing two entire worlds back together," Regal said as an afterthought and everyone agreed with him.

Now they were making plans, but as she listened, she realized that they were forgetting something.

"What about me? What will I do?" Leona asked.

"You wouldn't mind Leona staying here for awhile, would you," Raine said, "It'd be dreadfully boring to leave her back in some empty house in Altamira.

"Oh, of course, Leona can stay. I think I'll sit this one out guys," Colette said, "Someone has to look after these kids while everyone's away."

"I also think it's a good idea that someone is here just in case Lucas shows back up here," Raine said.

"Given his resourcefulness, I wouldn't be surprised. Here we are searching high and low for him and he managed to get his own self out of trouble," Lloyd said with a laugh.

"Something tells me it won't be that easy," Regal said.

Leona couldn't believe it. They were actually going to exclude her from the search. Where was all that talk about independence? When it got right down to it, they still thought of her as a little girl who needed supervision. Yet when it was Lucas, he was treated like an adult. She'd gotten to know him a little better after a few days and he didn't seem any more mature than she. Perhaps he was a little more knowledgeable about the world…maybe he knew how to get to places by heart…but still! She listened to them talk until she could stand it no more.

She left the dining room and went back outside. She'd not seen Cecil or Cathe the whole time and she was no longer looking for them. As she stepped down from the porch, she looked at her surroundings. Lucas and his family really did live in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by forestry and there were lone paths that probably led out to civilization. Having nothing else better to do, she decided she'd venture forth just a little in a straight line—however far she dared and then turn back around. Perhaps she was simply trying to confirm to herself that she was capable, whatever the case, she could not convince herself to simply stay put.

Of course Lucas wouldn't be out there a few minutes away from his own house. That would be ridiculous her logical mind told her. Yet she continued to traverse forward in a linear direction. Should she turn back around now? Or maybe a few minutes later. Then, however, the forest opened up into a meadow, brightly lit because of the position of the sun at the time. There in the center of it stood a woman, Clarion. She wore the same dress, had the same hairstyle as before. It was as if time was irrelevant to her. _I have to tell everyone!_ But she stopped in her tracks when the woman beckoned her closer.

"Come, child. I must speak with you of urgent matters."

"Is it about Lucas?"

"The seed," Clarion confirmed. "He is the seed. Had I known, I might have informed you before, but now it is too late."

"You thought the prophecy was about me?"

"Out of all the children, you are most associated with nature—I made an assumption and that is always dangerous."

"But all you could make is assumptions. That prophecy is far too vague."

"Such is the way of prophecies even the most important ones. We are blessed to have even a hint. Now it falls to you to stop it from coming to fruition."

"Me?"

"Yes, you are the most suited."

"How is that? My parents…their friends…they're far more capable—

Clarion shook her head giving Leona pause. "No, their journey is done. Despite their best efforts, they are destined to fail. They will turn against you. You must harden yourself for the road ahead. It is paved with hardships."

"Turn against me? My parents would never do that."

"And I hope that is truly the case. Go to the Triet Ruins. There you will find what you seek."

"Lucas will be there?"

"If all goes as foretold, yes, he should be there. You must make haste."

"But how—

Even before she could finish her sentence, Clarion silently disappeared from her sight. There would be no more questions. She had the most important answers anyway. Even if it didn't make any logical sense, she felt as if she could not tell her parents. What were the consequences for disobeying the prophecy? The Triet Ruins were one of the places that they planned on searching. When she left, they were already discussing the places they would go to and who should go where. Even if she didn't tell them outright, they'd eventually be there. And there was always a chance that Clarion's warning proved true and they did turn against her. What was the harm of checking things out herself? She'd already traveled far to the tournament in Meltokio. Traveling was doable and she was more than capable of defending herself. But more than that, she felt responsible for Lucas' predicament. Had she simply followed her instincts the first time she realized something was amiss, perhaps this entire debacle could have been avoided. Now she was being given a chance to correct the problem on her own. Admittedly, she wanted to take that. The only problem was whether she could do such a thing alone.

It was only then that she became aware of footsteps behind her. Was it her parents? Her cover may already be blown. Maybe she'd spent too much time away from the house and they were now looking for her.

"So you're telling me all we have to do is go to the Triet Ruins?" said a very familiar girl's voice.

Leona turned on her heels and beheld Cecil and Cathe. Cecil was the one who had spoken.

"You heard everything?" Leona asked surprised.

"Don't look at me like that—Cathe was the one who came up with the idea of spying on you."

Cathe smiled, "And my instincts were right."

"I say we go to the ruins nab my bastard of a brother and drag him back home kicking and screaming. Then we can see the look of utter surprise on all our parents' faces."

_My mother looking surprised? That would be a sight to see…_ "You make it sound so simple," Leona said. "But does anyone even know where the ruins are?"

"It's almost a straight shot from here and a couple days of traveling on foot," Cecil said with a nod, "We should be there in no time. Now c'mon while there's still daylight!"

"Geez, Cecil, we at least need to get a little prepared," Cathe said exasperatedly. "Be right back. You two stay here. I want draw any attention if I go back to the house and get all the essential stuff so we won't starve."

"Amenities," Cecil growled. "Fine if it'll make you dandelions feel better."

Cecil stood with crossed arms as Cathe hurried back to the house and for a good while, Leona was left alone in the presence of Cecil. She was silent as she looked at Leona. Leona felt as if she was being sized up right then and there. She wondered if she was "passing" any of her standards.

"You seem like a good solid fighter. We'll need that for the ruins or so I've heard. Don't worry, Leona, we'll get him back and he will be made to explain his transgressions."

Something told her that the other truly meant to follow through on that last part. She would hate to be in Lucas' shows when they found him in that case. It was no longer an "if" but a "when". She knew it was dangerous to feel this way, but she was confident of their success now that she someone other than herself to count on. Cecil might be a bit of loose cannon, but she had enough stakes in the task that Leona didn't feel as if she needed to worry about her motivations.

* * *

AN: Yeah, I know, I was a bit late, but the free time I did have was spent entertaining family and then it was back to work. Hopefully, I'll have the proper time this weekend...We'll see. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. We're finally getting to the meat of the story. I totally wish I had pics for all these characters because I see them so clearly in my head, but, oh well, you'll just have to suffice with my written descriptions...

**MacinJack: **Warm and fuzzy feelings. Thank you.


	13. Obstacles

Chapter 13: Obstacles

They passed Iselia and did not even begin to think about entering the city. If their parents already noticed their absence, this would be the first place they'd look. They avoided the place and kept off the main roads. The entire time, they did not see any frantically flying Rheairds and Leona wanted to keep it that way. Cecil didn't think they had anything to worry about. She had a habit of disappearing from the house from time to time and coming back the next day. They could very easily assume that they had simply joined her.

The trio ran into a good amount of fights along the way. Watching Cecil fight was like watching the female clone of Lucas out on the field. She struck first and finished off her enemies first. Yet there was something more elegant about her swordplay. Perhaps not at the same level as the twins, but there was certainly beauty and art there as she spun into various positions and struck the enemy at dizzying moments.

Cathe did not fight up close, she primarily used her archer abilities. She aided in damage dealt with her often magicked arrows and the fights did seem to move along faster because of it. Though Leona did not have her greaves, she still used her martial arts. She felt ineffectual next to Cecil's blade, but she was certainly needed. She noticed that Cathe mostly used her arrows on the creatures that she was fighting on her own.

Daytime came and went turning out to be an uneventful day considering. Leona was glad that Cathe had thought of bringing the tent so that they could have some semblance of shelter when they slept. No one kept watch that night and they all fell asleep at roughly the same time.

Now that they were actually doing it—traveling to the ruins—Leona no longer felt anxious. She felt as if it was simply a matter of time before everything would be resolved. She slept peacefully and had Cathe not woken her, she might have slept the morning away.

Still no sign of their parents and they were less than a day away from their destination. Leona found the pace had increased considerably on the last leg of the journey. Cecil's eagerness was mirrored in the near jog she began to move. Of course no one could tell her to slow down, they just had to speed up much to Leona's annoyance. Rather than forcefully demand that they move slower, Leona decided that it would be better avoid an altercation with the high-strung Cecil and Cathe made no complaints either though Leona could tell the poor girl was tiring out quickly.

Finally they made it and Cecil let everyone know that they did as well.

"You sure that's the entrance? It looks blocked," Leona said as she observed what looked like a near translucent wall over the stone doorway that served as the entrance.

"What are you going on about? I can see the inside," Cecil argued.

"Careful," Leona warned as the other marched forth.

Their argument was stilled when Cecil's progress was inexplicably blocked by what she described to be a "damned invisible wall." That was when Leona realized that neither of the other two could see the barrier. Cecil, remembering Leona's last comment twirled on her heels and approached her rapidly. For some reason, Leona held her breath as intense gold flecked eyes peered into her.

"What do you see?" she asked with little pretense.

"I almost missed it, but there's a barrier magically placed there. I've read about it before."

"And can you disperse it?" Cecil asked.

Leona shook her head. "Unfortunately…I'm not that far along in my studies."

She felt ashamed as soon as the words left her mouth and she expected Cecil to retaliate accordingly, but she simply crossed her arms and looked off into the distance.

"In that case, we'll find some elf who will do it for us."

Leona's brow crinkled at this, "Just grab some random elf?"

"That sounds like a _great_ idea. I'm sure we'll find an elf who can take care of this barrier—just let me do the talking," Cathe said clapping her hands once.

It sounded more like an arbitrary plan that left far too much up to chance. "We can't just assume that any elf we approach will know how to do this—this is a pretty advanced skill," Leona clarified to the girls.

"Then we'll keep asking until we find the right one," Cecil responded unperturbed. "Either way, we won't get anywhere just standing here."

_True…_ Leona thought depressingly and she didn't have a better plan either.

"If only we had Genis or your mom, we'd already be through there," Cecil said as an afterthought as they headed away from the ruins.

_Also true…I make for a poor companion. I'm the only one who can do magic and I can't even do it that well…_They were headed towards Triet the nearest town. Surely they could find help there. She hadn't realized her head had been down the whole time until Cecil stopped their entire procession in order to inform her.

"Will you stop doing that—it's annoying!" Cecil said to Leona.

Wide-eyed she looked up at the tumultuous girl.

"Just 'cus you couldn't dispel some barrier doesn't make you completely useless! We ran into some bumps in the road and we'll get over them eventually. Nothing to do with your own abilities! You can still fight and that's all that matters."

"She means," Cathe said drawing her attention, "It's not your fault. No one knew there would be a barrier and there was nothing you could have done to prevent that. That doesn't make you any less of a person."

"Silly girl—that's not what I meant at all!" Cecil said quickly and with a slight blush, "We just don't need deadweight and you're not one yet. The minute you do become one, I'll let you know."

"Oh, sorry—everyone always hates my interpretations. I should probably stop doing it all the time."

"But you won't," Cecil stated as a matter of fact.

Leona giggled at this. She'd gathered what they were trying to say ages ago.

"I'm glad someone can get some amusement from this. Let's go and stop wasting time already," Cecil said haughtily.

And without further ado they followed her further into the desert. Leona was glad to have Cecil around. She seemed to know where she was headed even as she hadn't the slightest clue. She'd be completely lost otherwise and in a desert no less. The heat was really beginning to get to her as the day wore on, but she dared not complain. She was sure Cecil wouldn't stand for such things. Cathe dragged behind and Leona noticed her face was beet red. Much more and Leona would demand that they take a break. It was silly to be going at such a rapid pace through such an unforgiving environment.

"We're almost there," Cecil spoke up. "Don't give up on me now. No one wants to camp in the desert."

She seemed to be talking more to Cathe than Leona who could bear another hour of walking. For the time being, she was glad that she wasn't wearing her greaves. They would have weighed her down immensely out here. By the time they reached town, Leona was beginning to see double, Cecil's pace had actually slowed and poor Cathe was stumbling along.

When they entered town, Cecil immediately stopped their forward momentum, grabbed both of them and ran behind a building. Leona hated being pulled around so arbitrarily and she almost furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance afterwards—almost because she simply did not have the energy for such things at this point.

"They almost saw us," Cecil said in hushed tones to her hard breathing companions, "Good thing I was here or else you would have ran headlong into your parents—and Dad was there too."

"All of them?" Leona asked a little shocked, "How did I miss them?"

"We're tired out of minds. Let's just catch our breaths here, but we can't stay long."

"Did Dad…did he seem worried?" Leona asked despite herself.

"I have 20/20 vision not 50/50…" Cecil said haughtily, "What does it matter? We still have a mission to do with or without their approval."

True enough, but it was at that moment that Leona began to think of the consequences of her actions. She'd felt useless before, she felt as if she had not been needed as her parents were planning how to fix her stupid mistakes. Then she made a rather big decision while she was too angry to rationally think things over and now here she was on a foolhardy adventure trying to not be caught by her parents. She didn't want to be caught now—she'd gone too far and it would be beyond embarrassing to give up now. But…was her father alright? He'd been known to have bouts of conniptions when she was out of his sight for more than five minutes and he was supposed to be watching her. Couple that with the fact that he was already on edge, already emotionally spent with her mother's mounting pregnancy and Leona simply did not see him faring very well. Her mother she did not worry about. Even in the midst of total cataclysm, her mother would keep a cool head, but her father was different. Lucas was gone and now so was she. Would he blame himself? Was he blaming himself right now?—she didn't want to think about it.

They had sat down to catch their breaths, but they wound up falling asleep despite their fear of getting caught—their tiredness won out in the end. Cecil might have been the last one to drop off, but she did not even attempt to stave off the inevitable. Luckily, they were not found and by next morning they were well rested albeit a little cramped from their sitting positions.

Where would they go now? Searching the city even though their parents might still be there, seemed like a terrible idea. The first chance they got, they exited the city and finally they voted on their next destination—Meltokio. No one had voted against it, but Leona didn't like how far away it was. They'd have to go through her hometown, Altamira, just to get there. They'd take a ship just like she'd done to get to the tournament and finally have access to a nice array of people without fear of being caught by their parents—they hoped. They _did_ have Rheairds…

* * *

Leona was ready to take a nice, hot bath by the time she set foot in Meltokio and Cathe would probably agree with her. However, Cecil was more concerned about their inventory and how depleted it was. They finally decided that they'd visit the general store, replenish their stores and then find a room and relax—Cecil was outvoted when she declared that they did not have time for such luxuries.

It was a surprising if not pleasant surprise to see some familiar faces in the general store when they visited it. Leona did not expect to see the twins there. Was there another tournament?

"Ladies, always a pleasure to see to all of you," Eros said in over-welcoming tones. It caused rolled eyes from both herself and Cecil.

"And I as well," Zeph said though far more reserved than the other. He still wore his trademark kimono clothing.

Eros looked as dashing as always if not more so. Leona really wanted to know why they were there, but thought it would be rude to start with such a question…

"What are you two doing here," Cecil asked unashamed.

"That's my Cecil, always straight to the point with you," Eros said without even blinking an eye. Cecil was largely unamused.

"Getting some gels," Zeph answered her, "Thought we might kill some time entering into the singles tournaments."

"So this is just a pastime?" Leona said incredulously, "Travel all the way to Meltokio for the tournaments—

"And other things," Eros interrupted her. "But there's far less traveling. You see, during the summer when we're not in school, our family vacation here. Far better than dying of boredom in that hick town."

Now it made a lot more sense why they would run in to them in Meltokio of all places.

"Might I ask, what brings you all here," Zeph said.

Cathe looked at Cecil and then Cecil in turn looked at Leona. She ended up nodding to the unspoken question: Should we say? She was sure Zeph had caught all of that and an eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

Cecil began and then Eros stopped her. "Yeah, we know Lucas is missing. Leona's parents and Lloyd came over days ago and explained the whole thing—including the fact that you girls were missing. My brother and I knew for a fact that you must have gone out to look for him yourself. Anyways, Mom's on her way back to that hick town to use her intelligence networks to locate all of you including Lucas."

"You knew and you just pretended as if it was otherwise?" Leona asked incredulously.

"Just wanted to make sure your stories matched up and I've decided just now that I'm going to join you—you know where he is, don't you?" Eros said.

"As a matter of fact, we do," Cecil said confidently. "But why are you helping us? You really want to take time out of your busy schedule."

"Listen, Cecil, I care about Lucas too," Eros stated matter-of-factly. "If he's in trouble I want to be the one who helps him. Also," he stared with a grin, "I want to see how 'intelligent' Mom's intelligence network is. Word is they've lost their touch, not nearly as in tuned with the world as they used to be."

"The more the merrier!" Cathe said excitedly.

"Indeed," Zeph said with a smile. "My intentions are a bit more simplistic. I'm only doing what any friend would do for another. I'm not trying to make Mom look bad or prove anything—I just want to find him and bring him back if we can. I do believe he was taken against his will."

"We won't know until we find him," Leona said to him. "Now, however, we need to find an elf or half-elf—anyone who could help us break a seal. I know he's in the Triet Ruins—we just need to get in there."

"You'll tell us how you know all this on the way, right?" Eros asked.

"We'll fill you in," Cecil said quickly, "But we're wasting daylight, let's get a move-on already!"

As usual, Cecil was anxious to move on. The twins had been prepared to go to a tournament so they had on appropriate battle gear. Leona took this time to buy herself some decent greaves before leaving the place. Instead of just three people they now had five and Leona's fear that she was going about this all wrong was placed on the backburner. It was too late for those kinds of thoughts. They were going to do it and she had the support of all her friends.

Zeph, being the polite person he was, made small conversation with her, but she could tell that he was more interested in Cathe who for some reason was stuck at Cecil's hip. His eyes kept traveling to her. Leona simply called her over leaving Cecil and Eros to themselves. From what Leona could see, Eros seemed to be doing most if not all the talking and every once in a while, Cecil would reply haughtily sometimes even angrily. She wondered if she should interrupt soon…

Leona found herself listening rather than talking. She no longer felt like holding dialogue and especially not for more than an hour. She tired of such activities quicker than most. In this instance, she was glad that Cathe was there to distract Zeph and draw her out of the conversation. Eventually she was in her own world, her eyes looking to the skies watching the sun travel across and eventually set. The easy laughter of the two beside her and the low tones of the two ahead of her was mere background noise. It was Zeph who called her out of her reverie—they would be setting up camp now.

Cecil slept far away from everyone else purposefully. Eros, despite what Leona had interpreted as misgivings towards his brother, slept near Zeph. In fact, Leona wondered if they slept a bit too close together, Zeph turned on his side slightly curled and then Eros inside of the slight cup that the other had made both turned more or less towards each other though their heads were at different levels and impossible to look directly at the other. They'd fallen asleep almost instantly. Cathe, by design, slept by herself and Leona kept watch.

Her eyes kept returning to the twins. She had to admit that it was one of the cutest scenes she beheld with her own eyes. Despite everything, they were clearly quite comfortable in each other's presence. She wondered about her own soon to be born sibling. Would they be as close as that? At a moment's notice, could they fall asleep together? Would they be able to talk about anything to one another? Only time would tell.

Leona had fallen asleep before the night ended, but she was the first to awaken the next day, but she still laid down. Everyone else hadn't even moved. The first movements was from Eros. He obviously didn't think anyone was watching as he looked up towards his brother and gazed at him for an inordinately long time. Even she was becoming uncomfortable and she wasn't the one who was being stared at. She cleared her throat once drawing Eros' immediate attention. She must not have been able to conceal her confused look because when he sat up he was smirking at her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked startling her. She hadn't expected him to say anything.

"N-nothing," she said despite herself.

"It's amazing," he said with a sigh, "to know that there'll always be another person who has the same fabulous face, don't you think?"

"I…guess…"

"Ah, well, you wouldn't understand. Did you happen to come up with a better plan other than randomly find an elf who can do magic?"

"Sorry, that's the best plan I have."

"Same. The world _must_ be ending if we all agree with one of Cecil's half-baked plans."

"Why do you have to say things like that?"

"Cecil's half-baked plans?"

"No, the world ending."

"It's a figure of speech," he said dismissively.

"Maybe, but…"

"Leona is there something you're not telling us?"

"I told everyone everything. You know about the prophecy."

"Oh that? The world isn't ending, alright? I've seen no signs of that. Have you? Besides, I don't believe in silly words that may or may not make sense. They're vague for a reason. It's so we idiots can attach meaning to it _after_ the fact and pretend that some prophecy helped in figuring out the future."

"I suppose."

But it did not change the fact that Lloyd had heard the same words years earlier slightly differently and the circumstances in which they ceased. Something terrible was going to happen and Leona simply wanted to put her fears to rest. If only they could find someone, anyone that could help them. She wanted a miracle or at least close to it. Elves lived in this world alongside humans. It was only a matter of time. They might have stayed in Meltokio but there were too many eyes there. Too many people to spot them.

Then, a miracle was granted even if she didn't know it at the moment. After the rest of the crew awoke and they were on their way again an explosion went off in the distance. Immediately, Cecil spurted off to see what happened and the rest followed cautiously. It was a caravan, now in poor condition. Leona thought it would be a good idea to hide first before running to it. Had Eros not dragged the headstrong Cecil into cover, they might have been seen by the man who stepped out of the now steaming caravan from some mysterious fire blast.

"An elf!" Cathe said in which Zeph covered her mouth quickly.

Leona's breath caught in her throat when she thought the man was looking towards them and the bushes they hid behind, but his attention was drawn elsewhere as two guards struggled back to their feet.

"That caravan," Eros said in low tones, "I remember it now. I've only seen it one time before. It's what they use to transport criminals to the Meltokian prison."

"What are you saying?" Leona asked in harsh whisper.

The guards barely had a chance to bring up their weapons in defense. The ground crackled beneath them and two small balls of fire struck them clean in the chest and they were knocked out easily.

"I'm saying…we should probably make a run for it."

* * *

AN: So many ideas, so little time. I know I've been negligent, but I've simply had no time to write and this chapter is shorter than I wanted, but it'll do for now. A small treat for my audience. Our lovely assortment of companions are now embarking on their journey. Let's hope they fare well. Will they find Lucas on their own or will their parents beat them to it?


	14. Felix

Chapter 14: Felix

Making a run for it wasn't exactly an option at this point. As soon as the man finished off the guards, he was already advancing towards them.

"This is stupid, I'm not going to be afraid of someone," Cecil said stonily.

Before anyone could stop her, she leaped from behind the bushes and as soon as she touched ground, it burst into flames causing a shout of surprise from her.

"Bastard, come and fight me fair and square."

He was closer now and Leona could make out his features. There was no point in hiding now so they rest of the group simply stood where they'd been squatting. Whoever the man was, he was very obviously an elf. His ears were long and paper thin. His dark violet hair was done up in a short, high ponytail, his skin was mocha colored, but his crimson eyes were the most startling trait of all. He had a slender build and was quite tall. Obviously, he hadn't actually gotten to the prison he was probably headed for because the clothes he wore were long and elaborate, a robe appropriate for one that used magic. His features were sharp and eagle-like. The grin he now wore on his face suited him well—it seemed like something he did often and it wasn't one of a friendly nature.

"Darling, do you _really_ want that? I can kill you right where you stand if you plan on getting in my way."

His voice was deep perhaps in the same vein as her father. It was odd coming from one that appeared so slender.

"You don't scare me—

"Wait," Leona said stepping out now and coming to stand side-by-side with Cecil. "We don't want to cause you any trouble and we don't want to fight. We need your help for something very important—that's all."

The grin hadn't left his face and he still held his hand up, prepared to strike them down at a moment's notice. "You need _my_ help specifically?"

"You're an elf and you obviously know a thing or two about magic—that's what we need."

"I see. And what exactly do you need done so badly?"

"A barrier blocks our way into a place we need to go into, a magical one. We just need someone to dispel it."

"My child, if something is blocked perhaps it is that way for a reason."

Cecil crossed her arms with a huff. "Will you help or will you not? Or _can_ you?" she asked with a frown.

Leona looked at the other incredulously. She was a glutton for punishment and at the expense of all those around her.

"I will assist you, but what exactly will you compensate me with?"

"I have money," Leona said to the man, "However much you want—

"I don't need money."

"Then what?" Leona pressed. She just hoped it was within their power to attain it.

The man let his hand that had been up fall to the side. "Sustenance. Food, water and the like. Don't look at me like that—it's quite draining to create the kind of explosion that could stop an entire secure caravan, then those guards, then the silly girl. They haven't exactly been feeding me well. Surely a group of well-intentioned youths going on some important or unimportant journey would have thought to bring food with them."

"I knew it! You were bluffing," Cecil said angrily. "I could have wiped the floor with you."

"Could have, but then where would we be," he said with a smugness that must have surely irked Cecil.

It was the middle of the day, but soon they were setting up camp, at least part of it so that they could cook something for the elf they had forgotten to ask the name of. Leona was largely at ease. He was no threat to them as of now. Though she might have been frightened before, there was more of them than him and she too knew magic enough to protect herself and others.

He spoke little unless spoken to and Leona had no interest in conversing with him so he was quiet perhaps awkwardly so. Cecil would give him a death glare every chance she got, but the elf was unperturbed. He did, however, comment on how wonderful it was to finally be eating "real" food.

He fell asleep eventually against the tree he had been sitting in front of. Cecil immediately wanted to wake him and drag him along, but there was a vote and she lost. It would be better that he was well-rested especially since they had such a long way to go before they got back to the Triet Ruins. It would be rude to force someone to do that while they were so obviously exhausted.

The fact that the stranger would sleep in their presence meant that he must have trusted them to some extent. That or there was nothing of value to steal from him in the first place. It was probably the latter. He didn't wake as quickly as Leona had thought. In fact, they wasted the rest of the day waiting for him and by then it was too dark to travel. They'd already lost a day. A slight setback, but a necessary one. Who knew one could sleep for so long?

"I forgot to ask you," Leona said to the yawning elf after the sun was down. "What is your name?"

"Felix," he replied simply.

"Just Felix?" Leona asked.

"Just Felix," he confirmed, "Unless everyone feels like giving out their surnames."

"Aren't you going to ask for my name?"

"It's Leona."

Leona wondered if the other was clairvoyant. "How—

"Everyone's said their name at least once by now. All one had to do was listen. Leona, Cecil, Cathe, Zeph, and Eros."

"Correct," Leona said incredulously.

"Looks like we have ourselves a regular spy," Zeph said jokingly.

"Maybe I am," he replied mysteriously.

"You're _not_," Cecil said with a frown. "You're a criminal who just broke out of his transport to jail."

"Thanks for putting everything in perspective, young lady," Felix said back.

Eros stood up then. "We've just wasted a day because of you. I hope you really know how to take care of that barrier when we get there."

"You kept your end of the bargain and I'll keep mine," Felix replied. "It's a fairly simple task."

He'd yet to give them any reason to believe that he _didn't_ know how to do what they were asking and Leona didn't think there'd be a good reason for him to lie about such things. But there was one question that lied unspoken and she was almost certain Cecil would have asked it already. Everyone was already settling down to weather the night, but Leona was wide awake.

"Are you going to tell us why you were on your way to prison," Leona finally asked.

"I would rather not go into detail about it."

"Are you innocent? Was it some misunderstanding?"

Then the man laughed startling her—it was loud and a bit raucous. She was sure he must have woken everyone. "Not by a long-shot, child, but I had no desire to be punished for my transgressions and I had the means of escape."

Felix was so blunt that it caused her to lose track of what she was going to say and all she could do was stare. Was this someone they really wanted to travel with? Who knew what he did wrong? He could have been responsible for someone's death and he had no remorse.

"It's too late to be rid of me. I made a deal and I plan to keep it. Besides, I have nothing better to do and no place in mind to go."

"What about your home?"

"That is no longer an option."

"You were exiled from your hometown?"

"In a sense," he said with the beginnings of a grin. "I'm sure if you keep drilling me with questions, you'll eventually get the full story, but doesn't that sound quite tiring? Rest assured, you'll get what you so desperately need and you'll soon forget that you ever met me in the first place."

"I doubt that—forgetting about you. I think if you've escaped, they'll be a lot more people talking about you."

"You would think, but I have my ways—in other words, the right people have already been paid off. There'll be no more mention of the strange elf who escaped prison."

Her eyes widened at this. Did he belong in prison? Wasn't she now aiding a criminal? She could have chosen anyone to dispel the barrier, but somehow she'd chosen just the wrong person for the job and she didn't think there was a way out of the perceived mess she'd created.

This night she could not sleep, partially because they'd not done much that day, but mostly because she did not feel comfortable around the stranger. What if he was planning their demise at this very moment? They'd seen him, knew he existed. Perhaps they were now expendable and Felix was simply playing along until the perfect moment presented itself. But they could defend themselves quite well, Leona had to remind herself. Even if the elf had proven his proficiency in magic, that did not mean that he was capable of taking them all at once.

As soon as the dawn came, they were traveling and Felix had no qualms about it. They had a long way to go and Leona simply wanted to be there already. If only she had a Rheaird.

/

While in the beginning, a quietness had settled upon the traveling group. Felix made himself near invisible as Leona could find nothing to say to him and any questions that were asked were deflected. Soon the atmosphere returned to its usual carefree tone. Even so, Leona made sure to know where he was at all times, but he seemed to pay her no mind. In fact, he seemed in his own world.

In the end, she decided that it was pointless to figure out anything about the man. They only needed him for one task and they would be rid of him. Everything else was in excess of. Lucas was the main focus here and Felix was a means to an end.

They arrived at the ruins. Once there, Felix wordlessly made his way to the entrance. He must have seen the invisible barrier already just like she had. His hand pressed against it, fingers long and slender.

"How imperative is it that you go into this particular place?" Felix asked.

"Don't you even _think_ about going back on your word," Cecil said with crossed arms.

"It was a simple question," Felix replied not bothering to look at her. "This magic feels very familiar. I hope it was not created by who I think."

"Should we be worried?" Leona asked the man.

"I would be. Are you absolutely certain that you _must_ enter?"

"What are you not telling us?" Cecil asked.

"Answering questions with questions won't get you anywhere, young lady. Besides, I'm sure you haven't told me everything as well. We're all mutually keeping things from one another. Meanwhile, you're just assuredly marching to your deaths."

"There's no way around it—we _have_ to go in there," Leona said, "Our reasons are our own."

"Hm, I see." His eyes settled on her and she began to feel a bit uncomfortable. "A woman made this barrier. A cruel, heartless woman who would use innocent children to do her dirty work if the ends justified the means—at least in her eyes. No doubt, you were _told_ to come here and she made it seem as if it you had no other choice but to follow her instructions."

The hairs on the back of her neck were beginning to stand. "Her, she, who is this woman?" Leona asked mystified.

"No sense in telling such trivial information. She uses a multitude of names to a multitude of people. She would not use the same one when dealing with you or with the next person."

"And you're sure that this woman made that barrier? But why…"

"I'm…mostly sure. I'm just very familiar with the kind of magic she uses. It's unlikely anyone else would bother with something so complex. Precious few in the world could manage it."

"So what you're saying is," Eros said speaking up, "This barrier may have nothing to do with that person you spoke of and you could just be pulling our leg."

"Are you willing to take such an unnecessary chance, boy?" Felix replied without skipping a beat. "I would be wary of an individual who could conjure such a barrier. One that cannot be undone by brute force. This," he said pressing his hand against the invisible wall once more, "should serve as a warning and you should heed it."

"Um…mister," Cathe said drawing the elf's attention, "I know something really bad could be lurking just on the other side of the entrance, but no matter what—we have to go save our friend. Trick or not, we can't abandon him. We've come too far. If he's in there, then he needs our help now more than ever."

Felix's sharp eyes seemed to soften a little. "So it is a friend—a very close one it seems." Then he sighed. "Then there's nothing I can say that would convince you to turn back."

Leona was going to admonish the girl for revealing to the stranger their true intentions, but it was then that Felix turned to the barrier without further ado. Before her very eyes, the barrier faded away into nothingness. He made it seem so easy yet it had been impossible for any of them. When it was done, he crossed his arms.

"You're free to enter."

Cecil was the one who took the first step and then the rest of them followed. It was Leona who noticed that Felix was not doing the same.

"Are you not coming?" Leona asked to the elf.

He shook his head. "I've kept my word. I shall go no further. Do watch your back, child."

"This is the last I'll see of you?"

"For your sake, I hope it is."

"Then safe journeys, sir."

"Thank you—whatever it's worth."

Leona had to run to catch back up with her friends and immediately they were thrown headlong into a battle. Metallic fire elemental creatures attacked from almost all sides. One flew with wings, another resembled a spherical object levitating in the air and the last was one that walked on two legs that reminded Leona somewhat of a magnet. The walking creature seemed at first the most formidable and Cecil set her sword upon this one. But the spherical object took all of them by surprise as it sent out its first dizzying attack. They were pushed back a ways and then Leona set about that one with her light magic. Magic seemed to affect it more than physical swords or arrows. The twins double teamed the flying creature and took it down quickly. Then they assisted Leona. In the end, the large metallic creature was taken down by their combined efforts at the last minute when everyone's energy was beginning to run dry. Cathe had already been firing arrows at it nonstop. Leona firmly believed that were it not so, they probably would have been defeated right then and there.

Needless to say, that one battle took a lot out of them and for a moment Leona wondered if they should go further. There would only be more of the same and perhaps even worse. Were they really prepared to journey through the ruins? But that was a silly question in itself—Leona could never hope to convince the others to abandon what they'd worked so hard to get to. She wondered if she could even convince herself to do the same.

"One battle down, more to go," Cecil said standing up straight again. "I came here to get my brother and I _will_ do it. But…," she said turning around to face the group, "If anyone of you feel as if it is too dangerous or if this is beyond you, leave now."

There was silence for a little while and then finally Zeph spoke up.

"We would never even consider it. You talk tough now, but what could you possibly do on your own without our help? The way I see it, it would be suicide if anyone decided to leave. You saw what just happened. We need everyone's strength."

Cecil frowned at this. "So be it. Let's go before we get ambushed by even more unwanted creatures."

Cecil might have been ready to go, but not everyone else, Leona noted. Were it not for the ring that she had so graciously been given on her birthday, she knew she'd already be feeling the strain from using so much magic at once. One by one, Leona watched as the others gathered their strength, Cathe being the last. Leona waited behind for the girl and then followed the ragtag group down the hall they'd stepped into.

All around were gray, cracking bricks. The place seemed ready to fall apart, but then it wouldn't be a ruin if it were any other way. They came upon two other battles all of which took equal amount of effort before reaching what Leona considered was the central area. The came upon a grand room of strange brick elevating platforms. They had no idea how to continue. In fact, they traversed the small area which they could reach multiple times before discovering this fact.

Cecil, impatient as ever, began striking at the seemingly crackling brick hoping upon hope that she could somehow knock it down—an impossible endeavor, Leona knew immediately. Though the place seemed to be falling apart, the structures around had proved nothing if not durable. After five minutes of her incessant hacking, she hadn't even made a dent and Eros threatened to toss her down into the hot lava if she continued.

"Wait," Cathe said looking towards an alcove, "Don't you remember this from those stories Mom and Dad told us?"

"I was hardly paying attention," Cecil said, "It was far too long and drawn out."

"You mean stories about 'the journey'?" Eros asked.

"I think we've all at some point heard about it," Leona said, "But Mom didn't exactly go into details about the actual places they visited. I just know that they've been here before."

"They needed the magical sorcerer's ring," Cathe said excitedly, "Dad told me about it. Without it, they probably would not have made it very far."

"You wouldn't happen to know where that is," Leona asked.

Cathe shook her head. "I never asked, but it was really important."

"There's no such thing as a sorcerer's ring," Cecil said with steadfast certainty, "Can't you tell when people are pulling your leg? You know they embellished things when they told us that story, but, of course, you'd be the one to believe all of it."

"Well, I've never heard of that ring," Leona said thoughtfully.

"Nor I," Zeph said, "But then, Mom wasn't so much concerned about small details. There could very well be a ring."

"But it's _real_! Why would Dad even talk about it if it wasn't?" Cathe said.

"Real or not," Leona said sensing the other's frustration, "Do you know how it was used here."

"They zapped the torches with it and they caught on fire. Then the platforms moved."

Cecil rolled her eyes at this.

"Wait…are you saying we just need to light these torches?" Leona asked.

Cathe nodded but then stopped, "But the magical ring has to do it else it won't work."

"Is that what he said?" Leona inquired.

"No…but it's obvious. I can read between the lines. I mean, why have a magical ring if it isn't actually necessary?"

"They ever tried to light the torches by conventional means?" Leona asked

"Well…"

"Alright, enough questions. Who has a match?" Cecil said with growing impatience.

"Wait, how exactly are we going to reach these torches? That's probably why they used that ring because of that very obvious gap between the floor and the actual torch," Zeph said.

"You believe me about the ring then?" Cathe said with a smile. She clasped her hands together with delight.

"Of course," he said with a smile of his own.

"We're getting off track. Now we have to figure out how to actually reach the torches. Zeph has a valid point," Leona said walking towards the first one.

"Easy," Eros said confidently, "Use your magic."

"You mean my _light_ elemental magic?" Leona reminded the other.

"Oh, so does your light magic has no substance? You make lightning rain from the skies—I think you can light a simple torch."

"It's worth a try," Leona said giving in.

With a flick of her wrist, she sent a brief spurt of energy towards the torch; it sprung to life immediately. In that same instant, a platform near them rose up. Leona had never seen the like and her companions were equally as fascinated.

"That was…a good thing, right?" Eros asked uncertainly to no one in particular.

It was Cathe who answered. "Yep, it's just like what Dad said about this place. Now we have to try the other entrances to this room—there's two others—to see how we can get further. Then there's this portal—

"Wait a minute, we're still talking realistically, right?" Leona questioned Cathe.

She nodded vigorously, "Yep. There's a portal and it takes you to the room where the Summon Spirit that your mom tamed is."

"Should be an empty room there then," Eros said thoughtfully.

"Not empty," Leona said shaking her head, "Where we should find Lucas."

"How in the world would he have gotten here without lighting these torches?" Zeph asked aloud.

"Who knows," Cecil said with a shrug. "The magic lady could have just teleported him there. If _I_ wanted to isolate someone, I'd definitely put them in some abandoned ruin in a room that's pretty difficult to get to, surrounded by vicious monsters."

"Good to know that you've spent actual time thinking about what to do with a kidnapped person. Where would we be without you?" Eros said.

"I can't tell if you're joking or if you really want to fight me."

"Alright, everyone before this escalates. We're going to keep lighting these torches as soon as I see one and if the story is real, we shall find a portal," Leona said in calming tones.

Eros looked away first and soon Cecil was marching ahead. The puzzle was fairly simple to recognize especially when they separated into two groups to see what changes were happening to the rooms as Leona lit the torches. Almost half an hour later, they were all together walking to the very center of the room where a glowing circular contraption sat on the ground. Cecil went in first and then the others afterwards.

They'd all be hoping to come upon Lucas at this point, but as soon as they were all standing there, the room began to rumble. A bright light shined on the floor, intensified, and then a large creature began to materialize right before their eyes.

"What kind of magic _is_ this," Cecil said as she whipped out her sword.

A loud roar rang through the entire room. A lion that appeared to be on fire charged at them, giving them no time to react and they were knocked backwards.

"Swords out!" Cecil shouted.

She didn't have to say it twice. The twins and Cecil tried their blades against the protective hide of the lion. It was surprisingly nimble turning on its heel on a dime and swiping at the nearby assailants. Leona couldn't help but think that their hits were doing little damage. They needed something more. Cecil cried out when a claw caught her and ripped across her skin. Even she couldn't hide her devastation. Blood was pouring now and she was hardly able to lift her sword. The twins were too caught up in evading the creature to help but Cathe took no time at all coming to her aid.

Leona knew she had to pull out all the stops. She closed her eyes so that she could regain her concentration and calm herself. Slowly she began to gather her energy. She could feel it now, the energy within her reverberating off her very skin begging to be unleashed.

"Solar Rain!" Leona shouted.

A bright ball of energy descended upon the creature in sheets and her companions retreated so that her magic could do its work. The ground itself was devastated, but the creature wasn't nearly as affected by the attack as she had wanted. It stumbled back a bit, but it was back on its feet as spry as ever, charging towards all of them.

Leona fell to her knees in sudden dizziness.

"Here," Cathe said giving her an orange gel.

"Thanks…but I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."

"As long as it takes," Cecil said. She'd recovered from her grievous injury. "We're well supplied. Now on your feet. We need more of that. Our physical attacks can hardly hold a candle to your magic."

"I swear, my blade is going to crumble into a million pieces if I keep hacking at that titanium," Eros commented.

They were back at it again. Cathe passing out gels to any who needed it, Cecil and the twins attacking the creature incessantly while distracting it away from Leona, and finally Leona herself spewing out a total of five Solar Rains each time tiring her out. After the fifth time, Leona was loathing to cast yet another even as she Cathe gave her another orange gel. She waited as a result watching the others attack until it finally fell down.

They were too tired to celebrate. All they wanted to do was catch their breaths. None of them noticed the absence of Lucas, at least not yet.

"All of you are here, just as I imagined."

Leona knew that voice instinctively: Clarion. She looked around but could not find her until she revealed herself.

"Clarion, what are you doing here?" Leona asked.

"You mean this is the woman who told you where Lucas is?" Zeph asked.

All she could do was nod.

"Well, he's not here," Eros continued where Zeph left off.

"Oh, it's so good of you to notice—less for me to explain."

Clarion seemed to step out of the shadows. The room itself wasn't exactly well lit.

"You found him already, then?" Leona asked.

Clarion smiled at her, but it was not one of reassurance. Why did she seem so different now? Why was she feeling a different vibe from her? It was as if she was a different person. She lifted up a single hand and pointed her index finger towards something behind her. Leona turned hoping to see Lucas, but instead it was Cathe and a millisecond later there was a flash of light and she was falling backwards. It happened so quickly that Leona could scarcely react.

"You miscreant!" Cecil yelled all at once.

One moment she was running towards her and then the next she was colliding with the ground.

Leona had no idea what she should do. She couldn't run, she couldn't attack. She looked to the twins and they were in the same dilemma as her.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Leona cried out desperately. This was not at all how she saw any of this going.

"I will eliminate all opposition," she said calmly.

"Opposition? But…aren't we…?"

"I don't see the point in explaining myself seeing as in a few moments you'll no longer matter. This the end for you, child. Others have lived shorter lives."

Her index finger was pointed at her now.

"No!" Zeph shouted and he was running towards her at break neck speed.

But it was as if time itself slowed. Zeph would not make it in time. Her eyes focused in on the deathly spark of light. She didn't have the presence of mind to close her eyes. She needed to see everything. The spark of light seemed to envelope her entire vision. Had it really been so big? Her heart was racing, she might have died of a heart attack before she was ever hit.

Then the unthinkable happened. The spark of light disappeared from her vision. Clarion grunted with dissatisfaction. Leona was still waiting for her death, but it never came. Zeph had ceased his attempt at saving her and stared in wonderment at the closeness of her perceived death. It could not have been Zeph who had saved her. Then who?

"Arcangela, I should have known. You are quite renowned for your death traps."

It was Felix, standing there as if he had always been, but Leona knew that that couldn't be right. They'd went through the entire dungeon on their own and she'd seen nothing of him. She wondered how he could even be here now. He stepped forth now, closer to her. There was determination there in his expression, something she did not ever think to find there. Something had compelled him to come and she had a feeling that it was all because of that woman.

"I would say it was a pleasant surprise…but we'd both know I'd be lying. Shouldn't you be somewhere rotting in jail?"

"You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"And what do you hope to accomplish here? This is none of your concern. Whether these people live or die will not affect you in any way. Perhaps we should catch up later."

"I cannot allow this."

Clarion's stance changed to that of impatience as she placed a hand upon her waist. "You picked a fine time to grow a conscience…No matter—"

"What do you plan to do? Zap me to death? I have no idea why it is you've taken it upon yourself to end the lives of these children, but it will not happen today. What horrible thing could they have done to deserve such a fate, those who have only yet to live? And you would snatch it away as it were a small thing."

"Felix…You don't understand everything here…" Clarian began.

"Save it!" Felix said with astonishing vehemence.

A light breeze swept through the room brushing past Leona's hair. First she looked towards Felix, but his eyes were now closed. She could hear it now, some strange incantation.

"Arise!" Felix finished.

All at once the breeze turned into a strong one, whipping back her hair, but she was in no danger. A brightness caught her peripherals and she watched as Cecil and then Cathe climbed back to their feet. They were just as surprised as her. They couldn't even begin to explain what had just happened.

"Arcangela, you will focus your attention on me."

"Don't do this, I haven't the time for your antics," Clarion said with clear frustration in her tones.

Leona was looking back at Felix now. His eyes shifted to her now and she felt frozen to the ground. She didn't know what to make of him but he was now moving towards her and she held her breath.

"Leona," he began in a softer tone, "Take your friends and escape this place. Whoever you were searching for was never here to begin with. I fear that person may already be dead if she did not have any more use for him. If that's not the case, then the opposite could be true."

Leona could only stand there staring into his crimson orbs.

"Go!" he ordered her, startling her out of her reverie.

"But…what will you do on your own? Can you really fight her by yourself?"

"The girl is right," Clarion said with a chuckle. "Your healing skills are as impeccable as always and that display was proof, but surely such a move resurrecting two people at once must have put some strain on you. How much strength do you have left to fight me?"

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll manage," he said in darker tones. Then his eyes were back on Leona again. "I won't repeat myself. Don't let this all be for naught."

"Here," Leona said quickly, taking off her Faerie Ring and putting her hand out, "Take this."

He hadn't so much as moved to take it, but looked at her questioningly.

"I'll leave—if you take this. It'll help you, alright. And you need it more than I do. Just be sure to bring it back to me."

She could practically see him deliberating with himself and she watched as his looked turned to that of grudging acceptance.

"If you will finally leave…" he said.

Just for a second, they made skin contact. A feeling of warmth and earthiness washed over her. Blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Now go," he said breaking eye contact, "Keep yourself out of trouble—that goes for your friends as well."

His attentions were on Clarion now.

"You can't expect me to simply allow this," Clarion said.

"I'm not asking politely," Felix said.

Leona heard some other foreign word spoken under his breath and then the ground in front of Clarion's feet became alive with fire and surrounded her. At first it was red, but then it raged blue. This was her cue, Leona knew. She looked over at Cecil and the others and nodded her head. At once they were running towards the portal and they were teleported back to the previous part of the dungeon, then they were running through the maze of platforms avoiding all fights until they made it outside again.

"We have to keep going," Cecil said to the onlooking group. "We can't be sure how long this Clarion woman will be kept occupied."

"Don't you mean, we can't be sure when she'll finish off Felix," Leona said with a frown.

"I only deal in facts," Cecil said, "And from what I've seen from magic users is that they get tired easily. If I were in your shoes, I would have kept that ring. It was a special gift from my brother. Without it, you're much more vulnerable. But we can't cry over spilled milk."

"I'll get it back," Leona said stubbornly.

Then Cecil laughed. "Even if it were possible—you trust complete strangers now? My have _you_ come a long way."

Leona thought she had gotten used to Cecil, but now she was beginning to grate her the wrong way. For some reason, when she so casually spoke ill of Felix, she was ready to wipe the floor with her.

"You'd be _dead_ now were it not for him. I certainly can't resurrect people. And in case you've forgotten, I don't need magic to fight. I do just fine without it."

"Oh, well _excuse_ me if I'm not entirely convinced of your usefulness to this group at this point."

Leona couldn't believe her ears. "I will _show_ you how good my skills are. All you do is swing around some sword like a child having a temper tantrum! I could defeat you with my eyes closed."

"Then prepare to fight!" Cecil said whipping out her sword.

That was when Eros stepped in between them. "Damn it, we don't have time for this. Go have your angry girl fight on your own time."

"Seriously, Eros, _that's _how you calm everyone down," Zeph said shaking his head.

"Eros, get outta my way—this girl's asking for it," Cecil said angrily.

Leona barely saw it happening until it was over. Cecil's sword sliced through the air intending to maim the one standing in her way and then another split second, she heard the "cling" of metal hitting metal. She hadn't seen Zeph move, but he now stood in front of his brother with his sword drawn holding back Cecil's attack. Then he shoved her away with angered strength.

"How dare you! I know you can be hardheaded sometimes, but this is too far. You would attack someone unprovoked?" Zeph asked.

"Unprovoked? Hardly," Cecil said unfazed by him. "You stand in front of my opponent willingly and you reap the consequences. Unless you're ready to die, you _don't_ do that. You're an idiot, Eros."

"You really are a bloodthirsty bitch, aren't you?" Eros said, his initial shock shaken.

"Call me what you want. That won't change the fact that you were unprepared even while trying to stop a fight. And they call _me_ rash."

"Hah! I find it funny how you can just stand there and judge after trying to attack a defenseless man," Zeph said full of sardonic anger.

"Defenseless _man_?" Cecil said. Now it was her turn to laugh. "More like _little boy_. My little brother shows more maturity than that."

Now Eros' sword was out. Leona still wanted to pound Cecil into the ground. Her only annoyance was that now the twins wanted a piece of her too…

"Stop it, stop it! All of you, please!" Cathe said in a high pitched voice that got everyone's attention. "Please," she said dropping to her knees in emotional weakness, "I don't want you guys to fight. I don't want anyone to fight."

Their arguments turned silent when they heard her sobbing. It was Cecil who walked up to her and held out a hand.

"We won't fight, okay?…Just stop crying. It makes me…uneasy," Cecil said with far less haughtiness than usual.

Cathe took her hand and Cecil pulled her up. Soon Cecil had her arms wrapped securely around her younger sister as she continued to sob into her chest. She rubbed her back with uncharacteristic tenderness. All the tension in the air seemed to evaporate at that moment.

"We should go to Izoold," Cecil began after a moment, looking at no one in particular, "It's a small port town—I'm sure our parents wouldn't be there or if they are, they must have moved on by now. It's nearby as well. Shops to replenish our supplies as well. Agreed?"

Eros and then Zeph sheathed their blades and Leona finally released her tightened fists.

"Sounds like a plan," Leona said with a nod.

They were tired anyway and they'd just escaped their imminent deaths. To top it off, they had no idea where Lucas was at the moment and though their dislike of Cecil was quelled for now, it still lurked under the surface and she was likely to stoke those flames again. The only reason now they avoided their parents was because of shame. None wanted to face them empty handed. None wanted to tell them how incredibly asinine their adventure had been. And for Leona, she worried for Felix' life. In the grand scheme of things, she supposed she hadn't known him well enough to elicit such worry, but she was too tired to rationally sort out her feelings. It had nothing to do with the ring, she was sure.


	15. Izoold

Chapter 15: Izoold

For better or for worse, they were traveling to Izoold. Their supplies had once again become low. They had no clear objective besides reaching that destination. Afterwards, they hadn't the slightest clue what to do, but no one wanted to broach that topic. Not nearly as talkative as before, the group made their way almost silently into town.

Izoold was a small port town, the population was equally. Many would be out right now attending to their daily toils. Perhaps the most excitement came from when a ship docked in the area and tourists came to stay for a bit.

For some reason, however, Leona felt uneasy as she entered the town. She could hear the gentle waves of the ocean crashing onto the rocky sand, but not much else. As she began to pay more attention to the denizens, something seemed off about their movements. A child who held a stick in her hand did little more than poke at the sand on the small beach. It was a repetitious motion as if she was unable to do anything else. Leona watched her for a bit, but the child continued in this way. _Strange…_ Leona thought to herself. She didn't feel the need to point it out, however, perhaps she was simply overthinking things.

The first shop they came to was selling seafood, so said the shopkeeper in monotone. That was when an idea came to Leona's mind as she looked at her weary companions.

"How does everyone feel about seafood?" Leona asked testing the waters.

It was Cathe who spoke up first with the first smile she'd seen in a while. "Better than beef!"

"Woh, woh, I wouldn't go _that_ far," Cecil said immediately after, "But under the right conditions—it's pretty good."

"As long as it's not raw…" Eros said.

"What is wrong with you? Sushi is the _best_ way to have fish," Zeph said back.

"Thank Marta it's not the only way," Eros said, "Otherwise, I'd have given up on seafood altogether. But salmon is a different story."

"I know what you're talking about," Cecil said with a grin, "Grilled just right, topped with a sweet and savory glaze along with some lemon herb rice…"

"Now you're talking _my _language," Eros said.

Leona was taking note of all of this. It didn't escape her that this was perhaps the most she'd heard them speak in a long while and it was about food. Her father had been right then when he spoke of the power of good food which could singlehandedly improve the atmosphere, make a stubborn person more malleable, turn a terrible defeat into something less negative, and in general get things moving smoothly.

She'd had more than one conversation with her father about food. It was a passion of his and there was an entire philosophy behind it that admittedly she was not interested in. She'd been more interested in how to make food and one of the things she simply had to learn was how to cook seafood. She loved it so much that she did not want to wait for her father to make it on certain days. All she had to do was ask and she spent an entire week and a half learning how to cook all manner of seafood including raw fish. Her father was only all too happy to oblige. It wasn't until that time when he taught her that she realized just how much of an expert he was. She had dozens of questions and he always had an answer. She wondered why cooking was simply a hobby—perhaps managing a restaurant would be far more fulfilling than running a resort, but that was a conversation for another time.

She had the gald for it, the knowledge, and the means. Today she would make them a big seafood feast. As she listened to their conversation describe their likes and dislikes, she knew exactly what it would consist of.

"But why the sudden interest in seafood," Zeph asked finally noticing Leona's lack of input.

Leona smiled promptly. "I thought I would make everyone their favorite seafood dish since there's so much fish around here."

"Really?!" Cathe said excitedly.

"But we don't have the ingredients," Zeph said.

"Don't worry about that. They should have them around here somewhere," Leona said. This being a town near the sea, surely they'd have ingredients plenty to make a decent meal.

Zeph was probably the first to realize how much gald she was probably going to spend buying the seasonings and then not to mention the fish. The prices were cheaper here for fish, but it was still going to be for five people.

"Let's make a day of it," Leona said. She'd also buy some bowls and spoons for mixing things together.

"I want to help!" Cathe said.

Leona didn't exactly want help as she would probably slow her down, but then decided that she'd be good for fetching the ingredients. In the same way that her father could cook exorbitantly large meals on his own in a surprisingly short time, she could as well if she got into the groove of things. Stopping to tell someone what to do would be more of a bother.

"Ack! Can't you see she wants to do it herself?" Cecil told her sister pointblank.

Leona must not have been able to hide her face of annoyance.

"Oh," Cathe said with less of a smile, "I see."

"It's not you," Leona said, "It's just something I like doing by myself. Besides, it's no problem for me. Don't worry."

"Don't look now, but I think that's Lloyd over there," Eros said interrupting them.

That quieted everyone quickly and they were all looking where Eros was looking. Sure enough, it was him and his trademark spikey hair speaking to one of the locals. Leona's first instinct was to hide, but then thought better of it.

"Guys, I think the jig is up. Let's just go see him," Leona said.

"Might as well," Eros said slightly deflated, "It's not as if we have any leads. Maybe he knows something we don't."

For a change, Eros walked forth first and then the others followed. Leona didn't know what to expect. She didn't know Lloyd very well, but her first impressions of him from the birthday bash were that he was a really understanding person. He was a leader. Even her parents had fallen under his spell and that was a feat in itself. Surely, a person like that wouldn't be too angry with them…

He turned to them. There was no look of surprise. He simply stood there watching them.

"What's the matter cat's got your tongue?" Eros said to the oddly silent Lloyd.

"I know what we did was wrong, but Lucas is our friend…and we just _had_ to find him," Cathe said looking down.

Lloyd's eyes turned to her then, but still he was silent.

"So what's the punishment already," Cecil said getting impatient, "Do I have to go and hug everybody and say I'm sorry—something sappy and useless like that?"

Lloyd looked at her then and still said nothing. _Was he fuming?_ Leona wondered.

Zeph looked on thoughtfully and then put a hand to his chin. "Hey, Earth to Lloyd. Is there something wrong?"

Then Lloyd looked to him and said absolutely nothing. Cecil shook her head as she saw this.

"Something _is_ wrong! Say something already, you're starting to scare me." Cecil boldly stepped closer to her father and snapped her fingers in front of his unchanging expression yet there was no reaction. Then she waved a hand.

"Maybe that's not him," Eros said.

"No, that's my dad. I _know_ what he looks like," Cathe said, "Daddy, say something! What's my name?"

Lloyd stepped away from the waving Cecil so that he could make eye contact. "Catherine…"

"Oh, Daddy, what happened to you!" Cathe cried running over to hug him tightly.

She might have hugged him, but he did not return it.

"What about the others? Are they still looking for us?" Cecil asked when Cathe finally released him.

Cathe glared at her, "Can't you see Daddy needs help—

"Shh!" Cecil said quickly as Lloyd began to answer.

"…It doesn't matter…nothing matters."

"What? What are you saying?" Cathe asked.

"Haven't you been searching for us? For Lucas?" Cecil pressed.

"Oh, yes…we have been looking…You should go back home…"

"But what about Lucas? Any leads with finding him? We want to help," Cathe said.

"…You should go back home…Lucas is…nowhere."

"No," Cecil said stubbornly. "We're _not_ going back home. We're going to stay with you."

"…Okay."

"Okay?" Cecil said with mounting anger, "What is _wrong_ with you? That's all you have to say? No reprimand, no nothing?" She grabbed his shoulders and starting shaking him.

"Stop it, Cecil!" Cathe yelled. "Don't hurt Daddy."

"He's acting weird!" Cecil shouted back.

"And shaking him won't make it any better," Leona finally said to the frantic girl, "Please, stop."

Cecil did stop after a moment and then sighed heavily. "Damn it! There's obviously something wrong." Slowly her hands came from his shoulders and fell to her side.

His jacket was a bit ruffled, but Lloyd was unperturbed by the entire display. "…I should keep looking…" he said in a strange monotone, the same tone he'd been using the entire time.

"No, you're going to stick with us, understand!" Cecil said to Lloyd.

"…Okay."

"I thought there was something wrong with these people," Leona said aloud as she looked around. "Everyone's just so…lackluster. I don't get it."

"Let's go look at everyone else and see if it's the same," Zeph finally said.

So the group does this with Lloyd in tow. He made no qualms about it. He simply followed them. His face was expressionless and his strides mechanical—it was not the father the two girls had come to know. They began to notice that the townspeople were acting much the same. Going about their business, but with no zest whatsoever. Something seemed to have taken all the enthusiasm out of them including Lloyd.

"What should we do?" Cathe asked. It was a question that was probably on everyone's minds and Cecil did not have an immediate answer.

"I think," Leona said with a pause, "That we _should_ go back home and regroup. I mean, this has gotten out of our hands. Lucas is still missing and now Mr. Lloyd is acting strange. We just don't know what's happening anymore."

"I agree," Cecil said after a moment.

And the others did as well. So it was decided. With their feast now long forgotten, they began towards the entrance of the town, but then they were stopped by yet another surprise. Cathe saw him first and her eyes lit up.

"Lucas!" she shouted with joy and she commenced to running towards him with open arms until he whipped his sword out.

"Keep your distance, little girl," he said steadily.

Leona simply couldn't believe it. That was truly Lucas not more than a few paces ahead of them. They'd gone through all the trouble of searching for him and he'd found them instead. As he stepped closer to them, she began to notice some differences in his appearance. The lack of sleep seemed to have finally caught up with him, the dark rings under his eyes told her as much. His coloring was off, he was more pale than usual and his blue eyes a little too blue.

"Good. I was getting tired of looking for you," Cecil bit, "Now we're going home and you're coming with us!"

"I will do no such thing now that I've found my purpose," Lucas said back with surprising clarity, no hint of tiredness in his voice.

"Care to tell us what that is?" Eros asked.

"I'm sure you've run into her by now—Arcangela," Lucas began.

"Wait, Clarion?" Leona asked a little confused.

"The very same," Lucas nodded. "She has shown me many things about what my role is. She needs me like no other and I will help her."

"That's why…she's kept you alive because she needs you," Leona said thinking back to what Felix told her.

"What do you mean 'kept alive'," Lucas said with a grin, "I am the one she needs to finally finish her plans. What you see before you is the first major breakthrough. Take a look at this town. Completely subjugated and ripe for taking orders."

"What have you gotten yourself into?" Eros asked with growing disbelief, "Subjugation? You plan on doing this to the rest of the world?"

"You are quite perceptive," Lucas said, the grin never leaving his face, "That is exactly what will happen."

"But that's wrong!" Cathe said.

"Cathe is right. You can't go around doing this to people," Leona said, "Look what you've done to your own father."

The group parted a bit so that Lloyd could be seen. He wouldn't walk forth on his own.

"For that very reason, I came here personally so that I could see it for myself. Father, come forth! Walk over to me."

Lloyd began to do just this much everyone's amazement.

"No, are you crazy—stop!" Cecil said, but she was paid no mind.

"You see, little sister, he will only listen to me. Father, turn and face them."

Lloyd did so obediently. Leona thought it was the most pitiful sight to behold. A man who was known for doing such great things was brought down to such a low by his own son no less.

"If I allow you all to live, you will only get in my way. Arcangela should have done away with you already, but I suppose I'll do the job for her. Father, destroy them to the best of your ability."

Leona was shocked by how callous he was being right now, but what was even more shocking was when Lloyd unsheathed his blade. Gone was his lackluster aura. He seemed ready to fight, he seemed to ready to take them down.

"You're not really going to fight us, right?" Cathe said.

"You will all die," Lloyd said steadily.

Now that he had an order, his focus was on fulfilling it.

"Daddy!" Cathe said.

Lloyd advanced towards her first, the weak link, and she cried out when the sword struck home. Cecil rammed her shoulder into him and tackled him to the ground. She hadn't even taken out her sword yet. It took a while for the shock to subside from the others and finally for them to fight back. Lloyd had drawn first blood and was not afraid to draw more. It was as if he was a different person altogether. How could he so earnestly be fighting them? He did not hold back. The only strength they had was in numbers. No one could hide from his attacks. He fought with startling agility and constant force. He hardly gave them time to breathe. Even Leona who tried to stand away to get off one of her moves was forced to move around to avoid him, but she was struck down as well almost fatally.

At some point, they were all on the ground bleeding out. Were it not for the apple gels, Leona feared they would have lost. Lloyd fought them with ease without even breaking a sweat. It was then that Leona began to appreciate the man's prowess with the blade. This was the man who had reunited two worlds.

"Please…" Cathe coughed as she struggled to sit up.

"It is almost a crime, fighting those who can barely defend themselves," Lloyd said to her.

"Daddy! You don't have to do this!"

"You don't understand—I _must_ do this. I have been told to do so."

"So that's it, huh. Just murder your family and it doesn't even get a rise out of you?"

"The only thing that matters is your death."

There was no malicious intent behind his words Leona realized. Even as Lloyd stood there with a bloodied sword in hand, she did not feel as if he was her opponent or even someone to be hated. He truly believed that they should die because Lucas had said so. It was…odd. They could not hope to defeat him. Not as they were. Leona made the struggle back to her feet. She noticed in that moment that Lucas was nowhere to be found. All their attention had been on Lloyd. In doing so, they'd allowed Lucas an easy escape. There was nothing they could do for it now—they had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Do you really intend to kill us?" Leona said to the earnest man.

"Yes," Lloyd said steadily, "Your resistance has been in vain."

"What if I told you that killing us would make someone really sad?"

"That wouldn't matter to me."

"What if that someone was Lucas? Do you want Lucas to be sad?"

"He gave me an order and I will fulfill it."

"But what if he gave it in haste? What if he's regretting his decision?"

"Regret…?" Lloyd said uncertainly.

"Those two right there—they are your daughters. Do you know that?"

"Yes, I do."

"And you would kill them?"

Lloyd said nothing to this, but Leona continued.

"Lucas is your son, did you know that?"

"Yes…"

"He would be sad if his sisters were to be killed. Doesn't that make sense? The loss of someone close will make that person sad."

"Yes…that is true…"

Leona noticed that his hands had begun to tremble ever so slightly. "Killing people…that could make someone sad too, wouldn't it? Killing people makes _you_ sad, right?" Limping though she was, she made her way over to him as she continued to talk. His eyes, something seemed different about them. Was he beginning to understand? "Killing me would make you sad," she continued. She stood close to him now, his sword was mere millimeters away. "You don't want to kill me."

Lloyd looked directly at her but she was unsure of what to read in his eyes and she was unprepared for what he did next. She hadn't realized what happened until moments after it occurred. She looked down and saw that one of his swords had sliced right through her and probably protruded from the other side. Slowly her world began to dim.

"I have to do this…I must kill you."

She cried out when he yanked the blade out of her once again and she fell backwards into a heap. She had no idea when she hit the ground, she just knew that she was in immense pain. Then she felt as more steel penetrated her, but then all of a sudden, the torture ended. She heard a "plunk" sound. An apple gel was placed gently in her mouth.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." It was Zeph's voice gentle and concerned.

It took a moment, but eventually she was able sit up again. Cathe sat next to her father crying, an arrow sticking out near his chest as he laid sprawled on his back.

Leona couldn't tell what had happened. All she knew was that Lloyd had been subdued.

"Cathe struck him with an arrow laced with a paralysis potion. He was distracted enough for her to finally pull it off," Zeph finally said. He was knelt beside her.

"How long will it last?" Leona asked.

"Not long," Zeph answered. "We have to leave now before he gets back up again."

Now that she looked closer, she noticed that Lloyd, in fact, was still awake and staring up to the sky, his face emotionless.

"Come on!" Leona shouted aloud to everyone, "We have to go now!"

She ran over to Cathe and yanked her to her feet. Under better circumstances, she would never dream of doing something like that, but their window of opportunity was small and growing smaller by the second. They had a head start and they had to be at least out of his eyesight before he was able to move again. Lloyd being the expert swordsman that he was would not allow for something like this to happen for a second time. Eventually, they were all running, running for their lives even if Lloyd wasn't actively pursuing them at the moment.

If Lloyd was like this, what were the rest of their parents like? She shuddered to think of her own father exhibiting the same behavior and what of her mother who was with child? But then she thought back to what Lucas had said: this was their first major breakthrough. Lloyd was the only one who'd been here. For now, the others were safe, but she had to inform them of the danger.

The next most logical place to go would be to go back home. After all, they were no longer hiding from their parents and Colette was sure to be there. Out of everyone, Leona was sure she'd want to know what's happened to her husband.


	16. 5 Pineapple Gels

Chapter 16: 5 Pineapple Gels

They reached the Irving's Residence without mishap. Initially, they assumed that Lloyd would be pursuing them, but perhaps they'd managed to throw him off their trail or at least he was confused enough to have no clue where they might have gone off to.

Cecil and Cathe told the others to stay outside so the rest of the group lounged out on the porch as the two girls told their mother of what had happened thus far. Leona didn't expect there to be yelling or throwing things and there wasn't, but she was caught off guard as the front door whipped open revealing a rather determined looking Colette, her hair tied in a low ponytail. Ludovic, the child who they'd forgotten about trailed behind her.

"So he's in Izoold?" she asked to the group looking towards her. All they could do was nod. "Ludovic and I will go there and bring him home. The rest of you, well you obviously want to help find Lucas. Raine and Regal are the closest, they went to the Triet Ruins. Oh, I do hope they're alright. Please, let them know what's happened. We should all meet up somewhere once again. Maybe someone's knows something we don't."

"Yes ma'am," they all murmured back. She didn't seem upset with them, which was always a plus. She was more interested in salvaging the situation.

"I'm so glad that you're all safe. We were all so worried about you!"

"We're fine, Mom, I told you," Cecil said quickly, "But do you really plan on going to Dad with just Ludovic?"

"Just Ludovic?" Colette said a bit confused.

"We both know you're not as powerful as you used to be and Ludovic…well, he's not the best choice if you want to fight someone."

"Fight someone? I'm not going to be fighting him—

"But you could. He's been…changed."

"And if that happens Ludovic and I will be ready. Isn't that right, Ludovic?" Colette said looking down at the boy.

His hair had finally been trimmed and Leona supposed he looked far more comely for it. Still he was quite shy and hid behind his mother. All he did was nod. She did notice that he wore not one, but two swords at his sides. Could the boy truly use two swords just like his father? Even Lucas hadn't bothered with learning that style.

Cecil laughed at this.

"Now don't laugh," Colette insisted to the girl, "Ludovic is all I need. I feel quite safe."

The poor child was blushing profusely now as she ran a loving hand down the crown of his head.

"Whatever—as long as you know what you're doing," Cecil said back.

"I do. Now go, help the others and warn them."

They parted ways soon after. It was clear to Leona that Cecil was a bit worried for her mother's safety, but Colette had seemed confident enough, Leona had reasoned to the other. She seemed to know what she was getting herself into.

Once again they were making their way to the ruins and once again there was a barrier at the entrance. Had Arcangela reconstructed the very same barrier that Felix had done away with before? Well, she knew better than to try to force her way through. It would probably be yet another trap.

As her hand felt the barrier she thought of Felix. Surely, he couldn't still be in there. Then again if he'd been defeated, then his body could still be there rotting away…She closed her eyes willing the terrifying images to disappear from her mind. She wanted to believe that he'd somehow gotten away. She wanted to believe that a weakened Felix had managed against the seemingly all-powerful Arcangela.

Who was she to even begin to believe that she alone would have been able to save Lucas? It was irrational and it had probably costed people their lives. Her parents must be quite ashamed of her at this point and she was about to meet them…

If they weren't at the ruins, then they would have continued on to the abandoned human ranch which would take another day to get to. All the while, Leona was becoming more and more anxious. Were they okay? Would they be disappointed with her? Cathe tried to comfort her, but to no avail. Her only comfort would be to get it over with already.

A day came and went and soon they made it to their destination. The place looked worse than the Triet Ruins, as if a bomb had torn it to shreds. There was not much of it standing, but it was enough left to still investigate inside. They passed through the gates and they did not have to go further as they beheld Regal; the blue haired giant was hard to miss. Judging by how he had little to no reaction to their appearance, Leona feared the worst.

"Dad…?" Leona said.

There was no light in his eyes, he simply stared at her.

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Gone…" he replied to her much the same as Lloyd had. "Nothing matters anymore…"

"And Mom, what about her?"

"Into the forest…I told her to…run…"

"Run? Did something happen here?" Leona pressed.

"Something…but it doesn't matter…"

"Yes, it _does_ matter. Now tell me what happened."

"I told her…to run…"

"Give it a rest, Leona," Cecil said finally, "He's just like Lloyd and we won't get much information out of him unless we feel like playing 21 questions for days. We should go look for your mom in the forest like he said."

"He's coming with us," Leona said at once.

Cecil looked to Cathe. "Are you sure? The same thing could happen."

"Let's have a vote," Cathe said.

"No," Leona said crossing her arms. She was trying to keep her frustration and anger in check. "He's coming with me and if anyone has a problem with this, then we will part ways."

"Hold on," Zeph said, "We understand that's your dad, but Cathe was just worried about all of our safety. We had to leave Mr. Lloyd behind…"

"Yes, but he's harmless now. The moment he isn't…just let me deal with him, alright?" Leona said.

Almost all of them used swords and she didn't want her father being hurt unnecessarily by them. She could take care of him…she hoped. In the end, Regal came with them and they travelled into the forest, but they didn't go far before meeting up with Raine. A very tired looking Raine who probably needed to rest.

"So you've seen him," Raine said at once. It was the first thing she said and obviously the thing she was most concerned about. She didn't bother looking at him; she must have known full well what he looked like. "Regal was worried about you, Leona, but there was never a doubt in my mind that you were safe. You can defend yourself and you have a good head on your shoulders and just as I thought," she said looking at the rest of them, "Everyone else is with you."

"Mom, I'm so sorry for running off like that—

"What's done is done and there was nothing you could have done to prevent any of this. Your actions may well have been necessary. Sometimes I forget how old you are. Perhaps we should have included you all in our plans from the very beginning…but it's fruitless to dwell on the past. Your father, I have no idea what's wrong with him, but had he not insisted on going in first, then I might have wound up like that as well."

"It's Lucas," Leona began.

Then they told her of Lucas, Izoold, and Lloyd. Raine was stunned by the news.

"But that's impossible. This Arcanagela woman must know some powerful magic to manipulate people as she does. Lucas is human as far as I know. This change that's occurred in Regal and Lloyd…it's magic-based. How could Lucas have been responsible for it?"

All Leona could do was shrug. None of it made sense. Judging from Raine's surprise of their information, Leona doubted her mother had anything new to bring to the table and especially not where Lucas might be. It was clear that she hadn't even seen him.

"Mom thought it was a good idea for us to meet back up again after we told her what happened to Lloyd," Cecil said.

"That would be a good idea if we weren't so scattered already. We gave ourselves a week to search in our respective areas. Zelos is in charge of scouring both Palmacosta and Asgard. Presea and Genis went to Sybak and Meltokio. Regal and I were supposed to look here first. The Triet Ruins for some reason is blocked and then go to Hima and Luin. As you already know, Lloyd went to Izoold and then he was to go to Martel Temple. Then we were all to meet back up in a week's time in Asgard, Sheena as well. Between all of us, we were certain that we would have picked up something. I suppose, in a way, Lloyd did find something, but were you all not there, we would never have known what happened."

"So I guess we wait for a week?" Eros asked.

"You might have seen him, but we still don't know his whereabouts. At the very least, we know that he's alive. Let them keep looking, they may stumble across him perhaps with better luck than Lloyd and Regal. After all, you were able to escape and so was I."

"But…wouldn't it be better to inform the others?" Leona asked.

Raine looked away from her. "I want to help Regal. As you tell it, an entire village is in the same condition. There needs to be a way to reverse the effects. The thing is we don't have enough information and we don't know exactly what Lucas is planning to do or his timeline. We also don't know exactly where everyone is. Let's do what we can now. It's a bit late in the day to keep traveling…"

Leona could tell that her mother wanted time to heal Regal if that was even possible. Had there been an easy solution, she was certain her mother would have already taken care of him. They set up camp and Leona watched as her mother continually examined her father. She must have moved her hovering glowing hand about the entirety of his body countless times before even an hour was up. She gazed at him intently. She sat back and became lost in deep thought and then repeated the cycle multiple times. Leona was becoming concerned that perhaps her mother was expending too much of her energy. Sweat beads began to form on her temples, but the look of determination did not leave her face.

Her friends had broken off into little groups; the twins sat together and then the two sisters. They were all restless, but there was nothing more to be done that day. Then Leona heard a rustle—a sound that immediately drew Raine out of her ruminations and Leona's attention. Raine was the only one who leapt to her feet when the newcomer showed himself. Everyone else knew who he was: Felix.

Leona's heart skipped a beat when she beheld him so suddenly. He was alive and he still brandished the very same ring she'd given him upon closer inspection.

"And who might you be?" Raine asked. It probably had not escaped her that she was the only one who was thoroughly surprised by his presence.

"Felix," he said simply. "And here I thought you kids liked to travel unchaperoned."

"It's alright, Mom," Leona finally said, "He helped us escape Arcangela."

"Yes, you mentioned him before. Then I suppose I should thank you."

Yet Raine still remained wary, Leona could tell. She'd not let her guard down at all, but just as Leona thought, Felix was unperturbed. He sat down with them about the fire as if it were perfectly natural. Then she began to see it, his once immaculate clothes now torn, his skin glistened with sweat—he was quite exhausted. He let out a weary sigh as he made himself comfortable.

"The chances of meeting you here in this forest…quite infinitesimal. Perhaps it is fate."

"You believe in such things as fate?" Raine asked clearly amused.

"Well, I don't wholly discount it," he replied nonchalantly.

"How did you get away from Arcangela? Or did you defeat her," Leona asked—it was a burning question.

"Defeat her? You must think very highly of me indeed," he said with one of his devilish grins. "I'm a far better healer than a fighter. I know a few tricks here and there. I pretended as if I was dead, very convincingly I might add. Then she left—she's not one for getting her hands too dirty. And this ring that you loaned me," he said holding up the hand which bore it, "Without it I don't believe I would have gotten very far. Since the natural world has undergone some changes, there are certain moves which are too draining to do any longer, but I was able to use them with ridiculous ease. Here," he said removing said ring from his finger—it fit him perfectly even though it was designed for the small fingers of a girl, "I realized what it was well after you gave it to me. Faerie Rings are a bit of a rarity these days which is a shame. The very thing needed for its creation grows more and more scarce every day."

Leona had to move a little closer to him so that she could receive it. "There was never a doubt in my mind that you'd be able to bring it back to me."

"Your confidence is…startling considering the odds."

For a brief moment, he laid eyes on her. His striking, intelligent eyes very easily drew her in and she found herself staring until he returned to gazing into the flames. Because he had simply dropped the ring into her waiting palm, there was no chance for skin contact like last time. She wondered if the same phenomenon would occur. Maybe she'd simply been imagining things last time—she had been under duress after all.

"So you managed to escape the belly of the whale," Raine said, "Did you find out anything interesting about this Arcangela?"

"As a matter of fact…" he began with a tone of measured excitement, "I didn't find out much about what exactly she's planning—she hardly ever wastes her breath on those she plans to kill in the next few minutes, but we have some history, I was able to goad her into telling me something, but it was about Lucas. She needs his power to realize her goal. Whatever it is that he does—she was not very clear on that—whatever it is chips away at his life force. What I'm saying is that it's detrimental to his life the more he uses this 'power'. On the one hand, this is probably terrible news, but for her, she needs him alive for as long as possible so she'll only use him sparingly until she gets what she wants. She'll focus on the cities where there are a lot of people."

"Izoold," Zeph said at once. "Lucas is going to travel to every city and subject all the denizens just like Izoold. Meanwhile, he's unwittingly killing himself. All of this because of Arcangela…"

"I wouldn't say unwittingly," Felix said, "It's not out of the realm of possibility that she's somehow convinced your Lucas that this thing that she needs is so important that it would require his life. She can elicit that kind of devotion."

"How is that?" Eros asked.

"That is a conversation for another time," Felix said wearily.

"Everyone who's in a city right now is in danger," Raine said thoughtfully, "At the very least this narrows our search radius. She didn't happen to tell you where Lucas was, did she?"

"No, unfortunately. I'm sure it would have solved a lot of problems at this point."

For once, he was no longer gazing at the flames. Something else had caught his interest; her father. The entire time they'd been there, her father had said nothing and stared at nothing in particular. He seemed more like a statue than anything else. Perhaps Felix had finally caught on to his strange presence.

"That fellow over there. There is something drastically wrong with him," Felix stated as a matter of fact.

"And how do you know that? He could simply just like to stare a lot—maybe he's simply petrified of meeting new people," Raine said back.

"Oh, no," Felix said in a knowing tone, "That's not it at all. I would know."

"You can tell just by looking?" Raine asked trying to hide the surprise from her voice. Leona could tell, however, that she'd been caught off guard.

"Of course. I'm a healer. It doesn't take much for me to notice when someone is in need of help."

"Then do you know what's wrong with him?" Raine asked cautiously.

"Someone's tinkered with his mind in a very extraordinary way, in a way that only magic can. He's ripe for receiving commands and following them, but not just from anyone, but from the one who put him into that state. But you see, he won't just follow these commands, he will _believe_ that this is something that he must do and passionately pursue its completion. This kind of mind control is quite beautiful in a way."

"Beautiful?" Raine asked a little put off, "I would say the exact opposite. Regal, he's…a shadow of himself. He doesn't acknowledge me, he doesn't acknowledge anyone anymore, and he doesn't seem to care about anything. Watching him like that for even a few hours…" Raine looked away, "I am beyond horrified, beyond angry."

"I see," he said simply.

"You seem to know so much from simply _looking_ at him whereas I had to spend quite a bit trying to assess what was wrong with him—can you help him?"

"It is beyond me, but I've seen something similar to this. I'm sure I'd be able to find something in that library, the one back in Heimdall."

"Heimdall…" Raine said warily.

"Yes, I studied there and from the looks of things, you still have much to learn."

"What?" Raine said taken aback, "I may not have studied in Heimdall, but over the years I have become quite proficient on my own."

"You're adequate at best. A healer should be able to look at person and know if there's anything wrong with them from physical to mental injuries and they should be able to heal at least the supernatural injuries within seconds."

Raine's expression had become hard. "Well, I didn't have the benefit of being trained at the esteemed Heimdall for obvious reasons."

"I noticed. Upon meeting your daughter, I wondered about her strange mix of blood and now it all makes sense. Little wonder that even at this age she knows so little about magic when her teacher is one who was self-taught. Tragic, really. Such potential in mother and daughter alike."

"And, of course, with your superior training, you can look down on us from some high, unreachable pedestal and pity the common folk, the despicable half elves."

"I don't think I've ever met a _despicable_ half elf, but if I did, I probably would look down on them. Either way if you want to help this man, you will have the consult the texts only found in Heimdall. I know of no other place with more reliable information."

"For an accomplished healer such as yourself—I find it hard to believe that there's _nothing _you can do for him," Raine said with a frown.

"I don't like to do things based off of hunches. I need confirmation first. But this should serve as a warning to just how formidable Arcangela is. Once she has her mind set on something, it is difficult to stop her. I might even venture to say impossible. She's always one step ahead and she's likely thought of all contingencies."

"It sounds like you know her quite well," Raine said, suspicion entering her tone.

"Oh, I do," he said, but he did not expound. "And that's about the only advantage you have at this point."

"Do you know where she lives?" Raine asked.

"She never showed me as much. She kept a lot of information to herself."

"Then how are you an advantage?"

Felix laughed at this. "I don't think anyone's ever found me useless nor have I been to you. I'm sure you'd have more to feel sorry for than a nonresponsive mate—something that's fixable. After a certain time period, death is irreversible."

"I've already thanked you for that—did you want a trophy," Raine said back.

"I hate trophies, but I'd settle for some pineapple gels."

"Because orange gels are so beneath you?"

"No, because orange gels are inconsequential unless it's in large amounts and it is quite tiring to take all that at once."

Raine was already rummaging through her bag to find said gels. "How many do you require?"

"Five," he said simply.

Raine paused and looked at him incredulously. "Five? Are you storing some for later?"

"I suppose that would be a sensible thing, wouldn't it? But something tells me it would be better to be at full capacity."

Felix seemed unconcerned with her look of surprise. Then again, he seemed unconcerned about many things. Leona supposed that she should be surprised as well. She didn't know anyone who actually needed five pineapple gels to be at full capacity. Leona was suddenly glad that he was on their side. She believed her mother to be the best healer ever. Then Felix came and blew all such notions out the window. Raine eventually handed the pineapple gels to him, but he did not use them immediately.

"Before I forget to say it," Felix said stifling a yawn, "I am willing to teach both of you the proper use of magic—for a fee, of course."

"Of course," Raine repeated sardonically, "And what makes you think I would ever accept your offer?"

"Darling, just because you were never afforded the opportunity to really understand the uses of your magic does not mean your daughter must suffer the same fate."

The decision was up to her mother and Leona didn't think her mother would approve especially not from a stranger even if he had saved two of her friends' lives. Leona also didn't want to undermine her mother's authority—that was one way to supremely piss her off, so she remained quiet obediently. Her eyes averted her gaze from the two adults and looked to the ground.

"Felix, I will allow you to teach my daughter when the time is right."

Leona was quite shocked to hear this.

"Something tells me you have no physical credentials I can check so I will be present at every session and we will see if you can do more than just talk."

"That's reasonable. I do have such credentials, but they are inaccessible at the moment."

"Convenient. I suppose you hail from Heimdall." He nodded so she continued. "So then you must have taught there, all full blooded elves."

"Naturally, all full blooded elves. All of them except one," he said his eyes growing distant. "A little girl. One could assume that she was simply abandoned by her parents. She showed up at the gates of the village. You know the village's custom, she was not permitted to enter—not at first, anyway. It became obvious, however, that the child had nowhere else to go. She sat there for days and days until she began to starve. The Elder did not have the heart to watch someone so young die right on his doorstep. Grudgingly, he allowed her entry. Orphanages do not exist in Heimdall so the responsibility of caring for her fell to the Elder—the one who had made the decision to bring her in. All of this I learned from the Elder when I asked one day. Admittedly, I do become far too wrapped up in my work to worry about the current news. She, like every other child in the village, came to the academy that I, at the time, taught at. Professors would not teach her; it was completely in their right to deny her, such were the laws in the village. She continued to transfer from professor to professor until she wound up in my class."

"And let me guess, you accepted her," Raine said, her tone not at all impressed. "Poor little half elf girl must have been grateful for your odd charity. I find it hard to believe that somehow you thought differently from your colleagues."

"Will you let me finish? I wasn't even planning to say any of this. You should consider yourself quite lucky."

"Alright," Raine said relenting, "Continue."

Felix sighed and then did as Raine suggested, "I may not have been aware of the news but I was not wholly ignorant to the new student. She caused quite an uproar and then for the first time I was able to hear my colleagues' thoughts about half elves. They were irrational prejudices. Professors, intelligent people, were brought down to such levels. I could point the finger at them, but these were things that were cemented into our minds long ago. I wanted to see for myself if these things were true. I did it not because I was somehow different from everyone else, but because it was simply my way to hypothesize and experiment. What better opportunity than this? I allowed her entry into my class because I was curious and you know what they say about curiosity."

"You really are quite cold," Raine said looking away from him, "To think of a living breathing person as an experiment…"

"Yes, well, it has served me well over the years. It allows me to look at things objectively without the clouding, misleading effects of emotions. Were it not for that, I would be just like those other professors, unwilling to give her a chance. Truthfully, I was excited about the prospects and from the first day she entered my class, I studied her closely but not in a way that was obvious. The best test subjects are those who do not know they're being tested. I wanted her to act naturally."

"And how was she?" Raine asked when he did not continue immediately.

"She was a solemn individual, understandably so. She always sat somewhere in the back with the most uninterested expression I'd ever witnessed on a child's face. Even before I began the class she was like this. I wasn't exactly put off by this. Outward appearances could often be misleading. Those were simply my first impressions. She kept to herself probably because she did not want to give anyone a reason to notice her and further belittle her—again understandable. She stared out the window and did not write down a single thing on the first day and I did not call on her to answer questions or read passages. It was as if she wanted to not really exist. She wanted to be someone invisible. When the class was over, all the children left as quickly as possible as is always the case, but she stayed back. The first thing she asked me was 'Why did you let me stay in your class? Do you like half elves?'. It seemed like she wanted some reassurances so I gave it to her—I lied. Told her she was no different from any other student and that I hadn't the slightest gripe about half elves. That seemed to satisfy her. She didn't ask me why this was so, she simply accepted it at face value."

"She was persecuted at every turn. I watched her inside and outside school. Everyone pretended as if she didn't exist. Many times she was blatantly ignored by everyone even by her peers. Anything said to her was of a belittling nature or a denial of some kind when she was asking for a favor—something she didn't do often. Despite these obstacles, despite this hostile environment or anyone rooting for her, she excelled in my class with surprising ease. I might have been guilty of giving out a bit more tests than usual, but it was only so I can read her responses to my questions. They were innovative, clever. She wasn't trying to simply get the answer right, she was trying to convey her own opinions and I would always leave my own comments in the margin for her to read—a silent dialogue began between us until such point that it was no longer enough."

"She absorbed information like a sponge, she was the student that every professor hoped to teach one day. Then I was no longer observing her from a distance. I befriended her. We spoke at length outside of class and it became a natural thing to do and I was given a far more intimate view of her life. She would ask me to buy things for her because she did not want to deal with the idiotic shopkeepers. She would come to my house to hide when she no longer felt like dealing with the silently berating looks of everyone else. I came to know her far better than anyone else in my life, she felt the need to divulge information to me that she would tell no one else, could not tell anyone else."

"All of this was quite controversial. The closer I got to her, the more the people who I worked with treated me as if I were an outsider as if I was somehow not the same person as before. My teaching methods began to be questioned. Administrators would visit my class to see how I taught my students. Were I not someone with an abundant amount of confidence in my own skills, I might have been made nervous by their constant presence. No professor is perfect and they eventually found something to call me out on…the fact that I gave too many tests, expecting too much from the students, causing some to repeat the grade. Something along those lines. Under normal circumstances, something like that isn't enough to have one's license and credentials revoked, but these were abnormal circumstances and I was kicked out of my lifelong profession. These things happened quickly, all within a school year. The girl was no longer able to attend school. I adopted her and continued her education. I am a professor of magic not of everything else like English and Math, but I knew enough to teach her. In order to be a professor, one must go through rigorous training including being more than adequate in all other subject areas. She essentially became my daughter. I'd sacrificed my life's work for her and I realized that I would gladly do it again."

"Where is she now?" Raine asked.

"Well, not with me," he answered vaguely.

"You mean you left her in that village?"

"No, I would never do such a thing…"

"Then—

"Following an unfortunate series of events, she was killed," he said. This made Raine quiet.

Leona who had been listening intently finally spoke. "Arcangela had something to do with that," she stated rather than asked."

"As I said before," Felix said looking at her, "Arcangela is a crafty woman who would use even children if it would further advance her goals. That would be an even longer story to explain and I don't feel it's necessary to recount."

"We understand," Raine said drawing his attention back to her. "Now that I've heard all of this, I think I feel a little bit more comfortable with you teaching Leona—it would be my honor, Dr. Felix."

"Please," he said cringing at the added title, "Felix will do just fine."

"Is that what you had your students call you?" she said in an amused tone.

"As a matter of fact, yes, and it worked out quite well."

"Trying to sound younger? I know of someone who just _hates_ being called 'mister'."

"I don't care whether I sound old or young. I simply do not need a title to convey mastery over a subject area. Besides, students don't need to be constantly reminded of such things when it's plainly obvious. Others need that kind of security; I do not."

"I see," she said dragging out the last word a bit. "So by your logic, Leona should be able to just call me by my first name since it's so obvious I'm her mother."

"Yes, but you have your own logic that you go by so it seems extremely unlikely you'd follow my example. In other words, it simply wouldn't be natural for you to do such a thing."

"Let it not be said that you don't always win debates and whether anyone wants him to or not, he will get his point across."

Felix chuckled at this. "Very accurate."

The two of them continued on like this as Leona listened intently hoping to glean even more information about Felix, but it was Raine's turn to speak of herself, stories which she already knew about. Leona knew that her mother kept out a few details and truncated many events, but in the end Felix knew of Raine's struggle early on in life and how slowly she began to regain her footing in society. The two adults and Leona were the last ones up that night. Felix was the first one to drop off having by then consumed all five pineapple gels, then Leona after a few moments and finally her mother.

Leona worried about her father and these feelings transferred into her dreams. She saw him standing there on a precipice and judging from the crashing waves there was water down below. His back was to her. All she could see was his long, vibrant hair being tousled in the gentle, but relentless wind. She kept walking towards him, but she could never reach him. She tried calling out his name, but her voice couldn't work.

Then he turned around to her. Immediately she could see the frown upon his face, an expression that was a rarity for him. He very easily crossed the distance between them and looked at her steadily.

"You disappoint me. Look at Lloyd's condition, look at mine. We have been made prisoners of our own minds, our values twisted and perverted, ready to follow any command that Lucas gives us. Were it not for your silly, rash decisions, it would not be so. The only thing you've succeeded in is giving Arcangela more pawns to use. She's been using you since that party and now she still controls your actions."

He lifted her up very easily by the collar and suddenly she found herself dangling off the very same precipice he'd been standing at before. Time and space seemed to hold no bearings.

"Dad, please don't!" she cried out, her voice now working.

Yet he said nothing more to her, his eyes no longer holding light within them. He simply released her and Leona found herself falling and falling. She wasn't yelling, but she continued to see the silhouette of her father in the distance and that distance did not change the entire time. She felt the wind ramming into her back as if she were falling and she began to panic until her heart was beating a mile a minute unable to stop herself and unable to find an end to her plight. That was when she awoke.

She sat up with a start, her breath heavy. It took her a moment to realize that everyone else was still asleep and an even longer one to realize that it was still night; she'd woken prematurely. The sound of crunching immediately caught her attention and she turned to look behind herself. There was Regal standing there all of his own accord.

"Dad?" Leona said cautiously. It was difficult to see him; the fire had gone out and only the stars lit the sky.

"You must die."


	17. The Blue-Haired Demon

Chapter 17: The Blue-Haired Demon

"You must die."

He said it with all the earnestness in the world and Leona's eyes grew wide with fear. She simply could not fathom that her father would ever want to hurt her. He stepped over her other sleeping companions deftly becoming closer to her location.

"Come with me. I don't want to disturb the others," he said to her in low tones.

Leona took a quick glance about herself as she climbed to her feet. Should she get the others involved? She'd told herself that she could take care of him if it ever came to this. She didn't want him getting ravaged by blades. She looked to her mother; she didn't want to force her mother to face him and certainly she didn't want Felix striking him down with his magic. No, if he was going to be stopped, she would do so herself. In the end, she followed him away from the campsite.

"What did he tell you? What did Lucas order you to do?" Leona asked.

"It is none of your concern," her father replied stolidly.

"Is he nearby?"

"Lucas does as he pleases and he did not feel the need to disclose such information to me."

"Wait a minute…are you saying that he's somehow able to tell you to do things without even being nearby?"

Regal did not answer back as he continued further and further into the forest. Leona had no idea where they were going. They'd long since diverged from the well-beaten path. It was then that they entered an opening in the trees, a perfectly round area where only grass grew. It was the brightest here as the stars' light was not hampered by the overhead trees. Soon they were standing before one another.

"I see you have made it through your journey relatively unscathed. Here I was worried about all manner of tragedies that could have befallen you."

"Trust me, Dad, I'm fine. You taught me well. There was never anything you needed to be worried about—I'm sorry I caused you so much stress."

"It was unavoidable. You're not a little girl anymore; I keep forgetting that…"

"That's alright—

"I need you to show me that you can defend yourself even from me. Prepare yourself."

Leona couldn't believe it. He meant to fight her right then and there as he moved into his fighting stance. Reluctantly she did the same. She wasn't prepared for the moment he threw two quick jabs at her. He never used his fists, but tonight was different as she fell to the ground in surprise. She barely even saw them coming. They were like two lightning strikes.

"I need you to take this seriously," he said when she didn't climb to her feet soon after.

"Why do we have to do this? Just because Lucas says so? You would never fight me like this."

"Please, stand up," he said offering her a hand.

Without thinking, she took it and he lifted her up quite easily. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, but her father returned to a respectable distance afterwards.

"What if I don't do it? What if I don't take this fight seriously? Will you still feel the need to fight me?"

"Your life is on the line. You _must_ defend yourself."

"Or what?"

But her father didn't respond as he came forth once again and she instinctively put her arms up to defend against his attacks. Leona couldn't remember her father ever moving with such agility and speed. When she tried to throw a punch of her own, she struck only air. She, on the other hand, was getting pummeled. There was only so much defense she could put up before her father demolished it and struck her down with full strength. She fell to the ground in a pathetic heap when her father was done with her.

"I taught you better than this. Why do you fold so easily?"

Blood was streaming down from the side of her mouth and she did not want to check the condition of her teeth, she was sure one of them must have been broken. Blood ran down from all the nicks and cuts he'd managed to inflict on her. Her eyes had begun to water both from the pain and from the fact that she was utterly cornered and it was by her father; the one who she loved so much. She wondered if she'd been a fool to think she could handle her father. She was really no match.

"I'm not ready…" she said, accidentally letting a tear escape her lashes. "You always kept complimenting me, kept telling me that I was improving, but in reality, I was nowhere near your level. And it's so plain to see now."

"Focus, Leona. You've done so well on your own. It's obvious to me that you can handle yourself. Now you must believe it as well."

Leona climbed unsteadily to her feet. "Fine…if you want to continue this torture."

She rose her arms up defensively just as her father was back on the offensive, but at the last second, she let her arms drop and she caught the full brunt of a well-placed punch and she began to see stars as shooting pain came from her now broken nose.

"Leona, why did you…?!"

Her vision was going in and out. She was barely aware of her father who was now somewhere near. She could feel it now; a slight alleviation of the pain, her father's healing technique. Perhaps it wasn't as potent as her mother's, but it was effective to some extent. It did take her a moment to contemplate the implications…

"Dad, why are you healing me? Didn't Lucas tell you to—

"Yes, yes, I know," he said slowly, strain clearly evident in his voice, "…but I can't, I simply cannot…"

His healing ceased abruptly, but it was enough for her to be able to sit up. Could it be that her father was able to resist? She looked at her father now, standing there with a pained expression.

"Please, Leona, you _must_ take this seriously."

Leona climbed to her feet once again. "No, I won't fight you and you shouldn't be fighting me either."

"Please…" he repeated, this time he sounded desperate.

Leona approached him slowly. He'd not even returned to his fighting stance. Maybe there truly was a way to break through the control. Just like that time with Lloyd. Perhaps if she'd tried a little harder there…She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest, stubbornly refusing his request and doing the exact opposite. To her surprise, she felt his arms come around her and it felt just like old times. Her father would find any excuse to hug—it was simply a thing he liked to do; a farcry from her mother's often aloof nature.

"See? We don't have to fight," she said at a near whisper.

"That's not his choice to make," came an intruding voice; she knew it immediately to be Lucas.

They broke away from each other so that they could see his approaching form. She might have been angry with him had he not seemed so tired at this time. His face was drawn, the whites of his eyes reddened, the blueness of his irises cloudy—he was dying, Leona realized. But that did not give him the right to put Lloyd and now Regal through whatever it was he was doing to them.

"Stop it Lucas! This ends here! You don't have to do this. Look what it's doing to you," Leona shouted.

"Don't worry about me," he said dismissing her concern quickly, "This is something I _must_ do and I don't care if I die in the process."

"What did Arcangela tell you? What does she have over you?"

"I don't have to explain myself," he snapped. "You're still alive so it seems Regal has failed me as well. Crafty little nuisances, aren't you? Lloyd, I still have a hold on, but Regal…I did want to keep their personalities intact, but it seems his values are too rigid."

"Lucas, it isn't too late now to stop what you're doing. It looks like you're determined to reach some goal. We would all be willing to help you," her father said, he'd been silent until then, perhaps catching his bearings. "And you wouldn't have to resort to this."

Lucas was quiet for a moment longer than usual, considering the other's words, "Sorry, but it doesn't work like that."

"If your father was here, he'd believe steadfastly that there is a way. There is some way to save you, save everyone and still achieve what it is you've been striving for. The end does not always justify the means. All we would have to do is work harder."

"Silence! This isn't some fairytale. Sometimes, there _is_ no other way."

Regal didn't respond, but then Leona realized that he must not have been permitted to. His expression suggested that he did have something else to say, but he was unable to."

"What did you do to him?" Leona cried out.

"I still have a modicum of control over him," Lucas replied.

"Please, Lucas. This isn't right."

"What isn't right, is that you're still standing. He couldn't take care of you or your other companions. Like I said, I wanted to keep everyone's personality intact, but…sacrifices must be made."

"But Mr. Lloyd…he didn't seem to have so much trouble fighting us."

"That's because my father isn't held back by his morals, not as much as Regal. In the end, if he knows something has to be done, then he will do it. That's why they call him a hero because he's willing to make sacrifices and he's willing to face the consequences—even if he is an idiot."

"It was frustrating watching you two or even just watching how he went about following my orders…so roundabout. He can't fight someone unless it's fair and he won't kill someone unless there are no other options left. You wouldn't fight him fairly so he could not follow through; an obvious, crippling loophole. But no more. Regal, you will disregard everything else and you will finish the job."

Lucas was no longer looking at Leona. His eyes were deadset upon her father who had yet to even make a move. "Don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be. Heed my command!"

Regal was doubled over in pain and he was on his knees in a second. Leona came to his side.

"Will you just leave him alone! He doesn't want to do it," she cried out.

"Oh, don't worry. He'll change his tune in a moment."

His breathing was heavy and he would not look at her. He would not acknowledge her and that in itself was strange. She realized that he couldn't speak, Lucas had silenced him and he made no noise whatsoever besides his breathing—it was eerie. He was holding his head as if he was in immense pain.

"Lucas!" Leona yelled angrily, "I'll never forgive you if you keep on like this."

"I don't need your forgiveness. Besides, you'll be thanking me later."

"Damn you!"

Leona scrambled to her feet, but before she could pummel Lucas her hand was caught by a much larger one and it gripped her with deathly strength. Then she was thrown to the ground again. She already knew it was her father even before she could see him. He climbed back to his feet and soon he was looking down at her. A string of blood seeped from his nose and his expression was utterly blank. What's more he did not say a word. This was no longer her father, she realized. There was nothing left there in his eyes and she began to cry. If she ever got her hands on Lucas again…Her father lifted her up from the nape of her shirt and a split second later her world went dark.

* * *

She felt as if she was waking from a long, deep slumber when she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a bright blue sky. Her mouth was dry and her eyes squinted at the brightness. How long had it been?

"Welcome back to the world of the living," Felix said.

"Huh…?" Leona murmured as she turned her head to the voice.

There was the tall, mocha-skinned elf in all his glory, his eyes just as piercing and crimson as ever, his features as sharp and eagle-like since the day she first met him. And he was just as handsome, as intelligent, and as enticing, his voice often sending shivers down her back…She was embarrassed with her thoughts and hoped that it did not show on her face.

"You were dead," he stated frankly, "Your savior has brought you back."

"What happened?" she asked weakly. In reality, she really didn't want to know. Nothing good could have happened.

"Let's just say that your father is quite the efficient killer. He knows where all the vulnerable areas are on the body and he uses that to his advantage. He was too fast for a sword to ever touch him and your mother couldn't even hope to get a magic move off. When I awoke he'd already taken cared of Cecil and Cathe. I used my invisibility to get away. I know an impossible fight when I see one. Poor Lucas was there as well. Have you seen him? He doesn't have much longer in this world."

"I don't care about Lucas," Leona said quickly. His very name riled her up.

"I know it looks bad now," Felix said with uncharacteristic quietness, "He's being manipulated, you can't blame him entirely. He's an impressionable boy and Arcangela can trick even the cleverest of people."

"Like you?" Leona asked a little interested now.

He sighed heavily, "Yes, like me. Now, let's go see to your friends. Hopefully your father has left the area."

Leona was amazed to know that she was not only revived, but fully healed as well. There wasn't a nick or bruise on her.

"I bet you're glad you had all those pineapple gels."

"I am," he said with a nod.

They travelled through the forest again a short ways until they came upon the campsite. Bodies were strewn around the place. It looked just like a blood bath. It was as if someone truly angry had ravaged her friends, but she knew it had been her father with his bare hands.

"No…" she said looking away, "Do you think…he'll remember this? Will my father know what he's done?"

"It's hard to tell. I don't know enough about the magic Lucas is placing on these people. Leona, I hate to ask, but may I use that ring of yours again. It would help immensely."

"Of course," Leona said without hesitation.

She slid the ring off her finger and handed it to him. Was it her imagination or was he deliberately not trying to touch her? She frowned a little. Even though she had better things to be occupying her thoughts with, she seemed to be more concerned about small inane things. No sooner had he placed the ring there on his finger, their tranquility was disturbed. Leona couldn't imagine who could be disturbing the nearby woods, but she knew who he was as soon as he stepped into the open; her father.

He looked terrible, like he'd been running a marathon. He was well sweated and he was breathing harder than usual. His blue orbs seemed depthless as he raised a solitary arm to point at her. He was slightly hunched, his wiry hair falling over his shoulders, his bangs wilted and nearly covering his eyes.

"Come to finish the job, I see," Felix said. "Did Lucas not say anything about me?"

To her surprise, Regal actually responded as he shook his head 'no'. Now that Leona could see his hands, they were bloodied and it was very likely not of his own. His clothes were stained with the crimson liquid. She could hardly believe the person standing before her was actually her father, this must have been some imposter.

"Distract him while I conjure a move that should render him unconscious," Felix said quickly in low tones.

In fact, Felix had already begun, but Leona quickly latched onto one of his arms intending to stop him. Then there it was again, much stronger than before, a pleasant warmth which spread throughout her body and a feeling of peace. She'd been standing there for far too long in wonderment when she really didn't have much time for such things. He snatched his arm away bringing her back to reality.

"Well, are you going to stand there all day?" Felix said with obvious irritation, "This is a perfect opportunity; if you have any objections state them now before we're both killed."

"Don't hurt him, please. He's already been through enough—I think I can take him."

"Then I will leave this to you," he said without even the slightest indication of doubt.

This Regal didn't care about a fair fight. He didn't care about the condition of the bodies on the ground. He only cared about his target. It appeared as if physically, he was reaching his limits so Leona confidently rushed forth first putting him on the defensive for a change, but his defense was good, too good. She felt as if she was getting nowhere. A large hand took ahold of her face and threw her violently to the ground. Leona wasn't sure what tactic this was, but it had worked, it had sufficiently taken her off the offensive. She leapt back to her feet before he could land a devastating dropkick into her chest. If the cracked ground was any indication, she was sure she would have been demolished. She used that moment when he gathered himself and sought her out again to dish out a few kicks of her own which landed home and actually caused him to stumble back, but she didn't dare to try for another kick. He might have caught it and she didn't want to think what could happen from there.

She changed her position quickly and then went through a flurry of kicks and punches all making their mark and further pushing the other back. Yet she was still cautious. There was still a chance that her luck could change. She had to keep at him like this. She didn't want to give him a chance to retaliate, but she didn't want him to catch on to her pattern and somehow deflect her attacks. She had him on the ropes now. More and more of her hits were landing home and he seemed powerless to stop her until that moment when he practically disappeared from her sight. Leona was surprised he still had that kind of agility left, but that was all the wiggle room he needed before he had her in a headlock.

He could have snapped her neck right then and there, but adrenaline fueled Leona's next attack as she rammed her elbow into his ribs. She didn't do it just once; she was frantic and repeated the action thrice more until he released her. She heard him coughing now, but it was a wet cough and when she turned to look, she realized that he was very clearly coughing up blood, doubled over in pain.

She instinctively rushed over to his side, but it was too late as he fell to his knees. There was far too much precious blood leaving his body, she wondered if she had somehow struck his heart. She caught him when he fell forward as he finally lost consciousness. It was too much to bear, it was too much to watch yet here she was surrounded by all this carnage and she was responsible for ending her father's life. She stayed there like she was holding her father against her crouched form, his chin upon her shoulder, his body lifeless and unresponsive. There was no way she could stop the tears from coming, they came of their own accord, silent and mournful.

"Please," she said almost to herself, "Bring them all back."

"I shall," he said. She heard his now gentle voice somewhere behind her.

It wasn't long before she felt the gentle breeze again and she heard his voice speaking in some foreign language and then the last word "Arise!". There were more being revived this time so the entire area became awash with a near blinding light and the wind was whipping far more violently than usual, but eventually they were all alive once more and she could feel her father breathing. The tightness in her chest began to alleviate.

"Dad?" Leona asked, but he did not respond and she looked back at Felix.

"An unconscious Regal won't be attacking us. I would hate for all my healing to be for naught."]

She'd momentarily forgotten about that. Even if her father was alive, he still wasn't himself, but she had to take one step at a time. Her mother came to her side soon after and eventually Leona laid her father there on the ground, alive but unconscious. They didn't need to discuss what had happened, it was obvious. Leona doubted she needed to hear the gory details of how her father downed all of them at once. To say it was astonishing was an understatement.

"Well," Cecil said sheathing her blade, "I now have a newfound respect for martial arts. If I had had my guard up more…"

Eros snorted, "Only you would say something like that at a time like this. Admit it, he bested you in every way."

Cecil growled at him.

"Guys, does it really matter?" Cathe said.

"Yes," Cecil nearly shouted.

"If it's any consolation, Regal and the rest of us have been fighting long before you were ever thought about," Raine said, "And the odds were usually stacked against us. I'm just glad we were able to subdue him in the end. I hope Colette and Ludovic were able to do the same."

"I also hope that the others have had better luck than us," Zeph said quietly.

Leona knew suddenly that the other was probably thinking of his own parents. Would they have to face the same kind of situation?

"Now are we just going to leave him here?" Leona asked to Raine. _Just like Mr. Lloyd?_ she thought to herself.

"No, we have a Rheaird. I'll be able to transport him on that, but that's all the ship could carry."

"Don't worry, we've been traveling around long enough now to make it to Asgard without too much trouble," Leona said.

"And you'll be accompanying them, I assume," Raine said to the tall elf.

"I might as well. Didn't I say I would help your mate? Besides, there's a larger problem we have to solve if Lucas has done this to other cities. It would be in everyone's best interest that we figured out just what's been happening."

"Very well," Raine said with a nod, "Please, continue to look after these knucklehead kids."

Her comment received an eye roll from Cecil, but luckily Raine had not seen.

It wasn't long before the group set out once again, but this time with a bit more confidence. No one wanted to say it out loud, but they were glad that their group now included a more than proficient healer. Leona simply allowed Felix to hold on to the Faerie Ring for the time being until things calmed down. Since he would be teaching her in the future, she was certain to see him once again. In four days' time if not a little sooner, they would make it to Asgard.

* * *

"Remember that time you said you would make us some seafood?" Cathe said out of the blue.

They'd called it quits for the day and had set up camp.

"Back in Izoold?" Leona asked.

Cathe nodded.

"Yes. Any reason you brought that up?"

"Ah, I was just thinking about it, is all. It would be a whole heck of a lot better than this food we're eating now."

"That's what you get when you force me to cook," Cecil growled, "Sandwiches."

"And poorly made ones at that," Eros said jokingly.

Eros had been sitting beside her as he said this. He was in prime position for the other to pound him in the head with a fist.

"Ow! So aggressive!"

Zeph shook his head, "To think, you insisted on sitting there beside Cecil. You must have some death wish."

"I did not _insist_," Eros said back, "It just happened to turn out that way."

"Oh, yeah…of course," Zeph replied.

Now that Leona thought about it, Eros sat next to Cecil and Zeph next Cathe, was that some kind of coincidence? Then again, she was sitting next Felix who hadn't said a word the whole time and ate his sandwich without complaint. He was the first to finish, but that was always the case, Leona noted.

"Anybody else have something to say about my sandwiches?" Cecil said in threatening tones.

Felix wiped his hands of crumbs, "I thought it was the best sandwich I've ever had."

Cecil was caught off guard by this. "Y-you really think so?" she asked, her eyes averted in embarrassment, a slight blush on her face.

"But the bar isn't set very high, this being the first sandwich I've ever had."

"Really? What kind of rock have you been living under?"

"A very posh one apparently."

"Oh? Only the richest food for his highness."

"Indeed."

It wasn't altogether clear if he'd understood the sarcasm in her tone, but Leona suspected that he had and had decided to ignore it altogether. Leona had nothing to say on the subject. The food was subpar for her standards, but she was sure Cecil understood that already.

"I would love to see what you would cook, Mr. Rich Food," Cecil continued hoping to get some rise out of him.

"I wouldn't. I hardly have much to work with," Felix replied.

"Yeah, the food store is getting a bit lean," Zeph said, "At this rate, we'll starve to death before we get there."

"There's maybe a day left. We'll be fine," Leona said reassuringly."

"Besides, I wouldn't let you starve to death. I'd keep you alive although it would be quite painful seeing as you would be starving to death," Felix said with one of his villainous grins.

Now Leona wanted to bonk him on the head, but she resisted the urge. Cathe looked practically petrified at the prospects.

"Like I said, we have a day left. It would take more than that to starve to those extremes."

Leona wished she could pat the impressionable girl on the back, but she was too far away at this point. She'd be alright eventually anyway. She took this moment now to look at the state of her friends. The fact that she thought of them as friends felt natural and not as awkward as it had been before. They'd been through quite a bit. Eros still looked as dapper as usual despite everything, his casual formal attire seemed to work out well for him. Even his hair appeared flawless, vibrant, dark, and silky looking. He would often run a hand through the front of it and his fine hair would slowly reposition itself into its natural position. Even the gentlest breeze could play with his soft locks. Leona was glad that his attention was no longer on her. Not once did she have to deal with those mesmerizing jewel-like eyes. His attention, she realized, seemed more focused on Cecil who was oddly immune to him.

Despite her brash attitude, Cecil's scruffy maroon hair was something Leona enjoyed. Thick tendrils of it fell over her shoulders. The rest stubbornly fell down her back, stopping somewhere midback. Her hair naturally had different lengths along the way. What could be assumed were bangs started at the top and then slowly each section lengthened, longer and longer. Leona would have loved to run a brush through her hair so that it could be tamed a bit more, something told her Cecil would stubbornly object. Her much more pleasant sister wore her hair in a bob with none of the bushiness of her sister and it seemed to have fared well on the journey; it truly did suit her small face.

Her eyes stopped on Zeph who constantly without fail wore his hair in a high ponytail. She supposed it was so he looked different from Eros, but it was also something far more practical to wear during a fight. He wore an elaborate, traditional kimono and by now Leona was used to seeing him that way. His style was distinctively different from Eros. It would be difficult to confuse the two. She truly was surrounded by a group of lovely people.

One by one they dropped off as they finished their meal. For some reason, however, Leona found rest allusive. She was jealous of how easy it was for everyone else. There were simply too many things to worry about, too many problems yet to be resolved and then there was her father. No matter how hard she tried, she could not forget the moment when her father passed away in her arms. Sure it had been ephemeral and under the circumstances, there was no other choice left to her, but the fact remained.

Later on in the night she heard the elf murmuring in his sleep. Looking around herself, she saw that everyone else was still thoroughly asleep so without shame she moved closer and bent her head towards him so that she could hear a little better.

"Lisa…please…"

_Please what?_ Leona wondered, but all he did was repeat himself momentarily and then there was nothing more said. Curiosity abound, she wondered if the same phenomenon from before would reoccur if she touched him. If it did for the third time, then she would know for certain that it was no coincidence. She found one of his exposed hands and placed a hesitant finger upon it. There it was again, the feeling came back to her immediately. Was she the only one? Did he feel it too? She looked down and saw that he didn't give even the slightest indication of such a thing. Then again, he'd seemed wholly ignorant to it the last two times as well. She had no idea what it meant and she knew she'd feel silly asking him about it. Really, the only thing she could do was keep it to herself, pretend as if it was nothing. It _was_ nothing, wasn't it? There was no deeper meaning behind any of it, right? She hoped so at least.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that sleep finally caught up with her and she knew she had little time for it by then. If only for a few hours, her mind could finally take a break from her frantic thoughts.

* * *

AN: That's right, two chapters in a row. Happy Labor Day! I can't wait to get started on the next chapter.

Keko-the-Hybrid: Forgot to respond to you last time, but thank you for the reviews. They've been really insightful. I did notice some grammatical errors in the last chapters like when I meant to say "superficial" and put "supernatural". I simply don't have a lot time these days. I read over it once during break at work and then publish it later on at night right before getting what little sleep I can get. Since I'm editing my own stories, I know for certain that I'll overlook something. Hopefully, it won't be too distracting.

I think I know what you're talking about for the description. I haven't really been putting any since I described them all before, but reminders are nice. I do plan to spread them more evenly throughout instead of just in one blurb which I did in this chapter as well. You like Felix as much as I do? Well, he's one of my go-to OCs I use when I want an OC to have a somewhat important role in a story. You might notice him again in another ToS story I have simply with a different name and some changes to his personality.

Colette told them where they would be, the Triet Ruins, but when they got there they weren't there. Since the entrance was blocked again, they simply assumed that they were further along the trail and ran into Regal. I don't know...I've just been referencing a picture of the map after the worlds were placed back together and things do seem closer together and seems like you can reach the Triet Ruins through the forest. Irving Residence is located...near the forest that runs into the Triet Ruins. I could be wrong and you can only access it through the desert...but it's too late now to change things up (lol).

And I'll have to do something about Leona's disappearing personality...I did get a bit more focused on the plot rather than fleshing her out more.


	18. Meeting Up

Chapter 18: Meeting Up

They instinctively knew that the others would be at the hotel so as soon as they arrived in Asgard, they made a beeline for the place. The twins spotted Zelos first and they rushed over to him with great eagerness. Leona was a bit surprised at their exuberance then again he could have turned out to be just like Lloyd and Regal.

"Geez, it hasn't been _that_ long, has it," Zelos said to the two of them

"After what we've seen…we expected the worst," Zeph informed the other.

"I suppose I was a bit lucky. By the time I got here, Lucas had already come and gone. Of course, I didn't know it at the time. Everyone just appeared to be acting strange."

"How's…everyone else doing?" Leona asked, approaching the trio.

"Genis and Presea, well, we haven't heard from them—it's too early to assume the worst though; they were the furthest away after all. Lloyd, however, well you've seen him. Colette tells me Ludovic was able to fend him off quite well. Then afterwards, she basically talked him out of following through with his initial orders. Man, I just can't get over the fact that Lucas is actually behind any of it. This is Lucas we're talking about. I've known him for all his life—he'd never resort to something like this—

"Yes, it is odd," Leona said interrupting him, "But tell me, is Mr. Lloyd doing alright now?"

She knew Cecil and Cathe would want to know first and foremost so she interrupted the other before he truly got off track.

"It seems," Zelos said gathering his thoughts, "being placed under that spell of his isn't good for one's health. Colette's with him, you can see for yourself."

Cecil and Cathe had already begun to head inside.

"And Dad?" Leona asked.

"Much the same as when Raine first brought him here—unconscious," Zelos answered.

Soon Leona followed Cecil and Cathe inside. She went past the front desk and found the right room eventually—there weren't many in the first place. She found her mother sitting there next to the bed, at the present lost in thought. Leona supposed she must have been there a long while. She didn't even notice when she stepped in.

"Mom," Leona said getting her attention.

Raine was slow to look towards her and she wore a despondent mask.

"How is he doing?"

"I've never felt so inadequate than as I do now. I don't know. He doesn't move, he doesn't speak—he's simply unconscious. Looking at Lloyd's condition, I'm sure Regal is not too far behind."

Leona silently wondered what exactly was Llolyd's condition, but she was sure she'd figure out soon enough. She stepped closer to the bed in which her father laid. He seemed to be breathing normally. He'd been cleaned; he was no longer covered with dirt and blood splattering. His periwinkle hair fell down over his shoulders in cascades obviously brushed, no longer bedraggled with sweat and grit. But what struck her the most was that he seemed peaceful belying the fact that if he were to wake at this moment he would most likely resume his fevered rampage.

Much like her mother had been, she too was unaware when another presence entered the room. It was her mother who noticed Felix's intrusion.

"Well?" her mother asked to the silent Felix.

His seemed rather somber at the moment, but then a look of confusion came to his face as her mother looked at him expectantly.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," her mother said with subtle haughtiness, "What's his condition? Will he be alright?"

"I have no idea," he replied automatically.

Raine stood up from her chair and approached him until she was face to face. "How much of a fool do you think I am? After all that bragging, you haven't the slightest clue?" Her tone sounded threatening.

"If you really must know…," he said looking away from her.

"Yes. Now just tell me. I don't have time for all this stalling."

"I've looked in on them both and they do seem to be following the same trail of symptoms. I won't bore you with the details—they are both dying. The consequence of not following a given order is death."

"I see," Raine said finally stepping away from him. Leona could see her expression now, she was greatly troubled. "And you could simply bring them back to life, right? If that were to happen."

"In certain cases, it is possible to bring back a person who has died of a sickness rather than by something purely physical—this is not one of those cases. Their demise is being caused by supernatural means, an odd mix of sickness and magic. It is not something any healer could resurrect."

"So if they die, then it is final," Raine said at a near whisper.

"But why are we talking about death? I'm certain there is a way to break them free of whatever spell was placed on them. As you can see, there are already weaknesses in it. They can be _talked_ out of following orders. I've never run into a spell that has no cure. This should not be an exception."

"Then we must go to Heimdall," Raine said grudgingly. "And will they let us in?"

"The Heros of Reunification? Even the elves couldn't be that prejudice."

"You said you were exiled—

"Even if they wanted to stop my entry, they'd be hard-pressed to do it. They wouldn't dare start a fight with me."

"Whatever it takes," Raine said shaking her head, "I'm sure it won't come to a fight."

"We have ample time. Though they may be dying, it is not something that happens quickly. It is slow and somewhat agonizing. In that time, they could resume following orders and stop the entire process."

Leona had never been to Heimdall, then again she could probably say that about a lot of places, and she wondered at its exclusivity. It was probably a beautiful paradise filled with beautiful looking elves all as eye-catching as Felix, all with their noses in the air. She supposed it would be fascinating to see how the other side of her heritage lived.

After being in the room for some time, she left to finally check on Lloyd, the one who was supposedly in worse conditions. She supposed it was because he'd been exposed for the longest. He certainly did not look as peaceful as her father had. In fact, he seemed in pain, his breathing shallow and quick, but he was awake and Colette seemed to hold his full attention. Ludovic was there as well looking on at the scene. Cecil with her arms crossed stood beside Cathe who looked as if she was about to cry. None of them had noticed her looking, but she felt as if she should not get involved. It truly did seem like a family affair.

"I swear," Cecil said as Leona was closing the door, "If you die on me, I'll kill you myself."

Despite herself, Leona grinned—it was a very "Cecil" thing to say. With nothing better to do, she made her way outside again where she thought she'd find Zelos. In the process, she past the twins who seemed to be having a conversation of their own in the front room. Zelos only moments before began to walk down the path away from the hotel. Leona decided to catch up with the red head as she saw him in the distance.

"So," Leona said when she was right behind him, visibly startling him, "Hotel's not your cup of tea?"

"No," he said his head turning to look at her, "Watching people dying was never a pastime of mine."

"Oh," she said caught off guard by his response. She supposed there wasn't much for one to do there at the time.

"If even Raine can't do anything…" he said shaking his head, "I'm just taking up space."

Leona could sense that the other was in a rather dreary mood. She was never good at cheering people up so she did not even begin to try.

"And who's the tall, dark, and handsome that was tagging along with you guys earlier?"

Just like that a blush came across her cheeks and she could not possibly hide it from the now clearly amused Zelos. Well, at least he seemed in better spirits when he chuckled.

"Leona, I had no _idea_ you were into older guys," he said teasingly.

"Oh, stop," Leona said. He was doing nothing for her blush that probably burned even brighter than before. "He's an elf that me and the others ran into when we were looking for Lucas—he's a very proficient healer, even better than my mom."

"So an older elf guy who's a healer and Leona has a crush on—I think I know everything I need to about him."

"Zelos—

"Wait, does he know? I bet he doesn't know—maybe I should tell him—

"Zelos!" Leona shouted, her embarrassment driving her on. "I don't like him like that! So, please don't go around saying things like that—especially not to him." Without her knowing, her eyebrows had furrowed in a mix of anger and embarrassment.

"I won't, I won't," he said putting his hands up in surrender. "If looks could kill…Relax, I was only joking. But, you know, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Your father," he said eyes going a bit distant, "once upon a time, had fallen head over hills for a woman who was practically a little girl to him. Age difference be damned."

"But it didn't work out because of it, right?"

"Oh, no, that's not the reason why. But seeing as you've never heard the story, I don't think it's my place to say."

"Alright," Leona said a bit disappointed. It was obvious that the relationship hadn't worked out, but she wondered why. "How do you even know if you really like a person? I mean…does it feel different? Like…warm and peaceful…"

"Hmm…" Zelos said thoughtfully, "I'm not sure _I_ would associate those words with love, but…your parents seem to be the very personification of them."

"I suppose you're right. I never thought of it like that before."

"Is that how you feel when you're around him?" Zelos asked.

Leona looked away, "Not exactly." And she left it at that. She thought the other would push for more explanation, but he did not. She wasn't sure if she was grateful or not. He'd left the ball in her court whether she wanted to speak further.

There was silence for a little while. She felt as if he was waiting for her to speak, but it could have been her imagination. Still, her true question remained unanswered. It wasn't so long ago that she finally understood friendship. Now she had to figure out something that was said to be even stronger still. What if, she thought as she sighed to herself, that it was completely one-sided.

"Hey," Zelos said breaking the silence, "Chin-up. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to something like love. You know what it looks like, you've been surrounded by it since birth. You're a beautiful, intelligent woman who could have anyone she pleases."

"You flatter me too much," she said unable to stop her mouth from curving upward.

"Perhaps. But it did bring a smile to your face."

Funny, how she had initially been concerned about Zelos and she wound up being the one who needed to be cheered up. He'd brought up something that she had not wanted to dwell too long on. Her father and Mr. Lloyd were on the verge of death and all she seemed to be capable of thinking about was herself. It felt like a selfish thing to do, but it was difficult to curb. She wondered if it was normal. Then again, Zelos seemed all too happy to humor her.

They'd made it through the front gate of the city and Leona wondered when they would return, but Zelos showed no sign of slowing.

"I know a great place to watch the sunset," Zelos said as they moved further beyond the gate limits.

"And you were planning to go there all by yourself?"

"I was," Zelos admitted, "But I do enjoy the company."

There was in fact a good place to watch the sunset nearby. It was nearly an hour's worth of walking, but Leona was glad to have been shown the spot. There was a piece of earth that jutted up from the ground in a way that made a miniature cliff overlooking a good portion of the unsettled land beyond. It sloped up gently from behind so that it was easy for them to climb. It was adorned with grass and wild flowers that grew on the earthen platform. The sun was just beginning to lower itself so they had a good span of time before the sun actually set, but Leona wasn't put off by this.

She began to relax as she laid down on her back to peer up at the clear skies. She glanced up to see Zelos sitting down at the very edge of the cliff leaning back as he did on his two arms behind him. She silently wished she had a book to read at the moment, it would have been the perfect time. For a good amount of time, there was only silence between them, not of the awkward kind, both far too engrossed in their own thoughts.

"Hey, Zelos," Leona said breaking the quietness.

"Hm?" he responded softly.

"You think Mr. Lloyd and my dad will be alright?"

"I'd be surprised if they weren't going to be. After all that we went through, it'd be a shame for it to end so…easily. There's a solution to every problem—isn't that what you would say?"

"I would."

"And who better to find that solution than the one who said it?"

"Me?"

"When we first discovered that you'd run off with Cecil and Cathe, the very first thing your parents did was panic. Of course, Raine tried to hide it, but it was obvious to me. I've never known you to do anything without first thinking about the consequences and if for some reason you decided it best to trek out on your own then I believed you had good reason for it. Without you, Leona, we'd still not have the slightest idea what's been happening, we would have never met that healer, and we would be no closer to finding a solution. Whatever guilt you might have for going out on your own—I just want to let you know that I'm quite thankful for your actions."

"Zelos…"

"And so is everyone else."

"But I didn't do it alone. In fact, I don't think I would have been able to do it alone."

"Isn't that always the case? And yet there's always that one person who first plants the idea and then that idea, that dream, becomes reality."

Leona let his words hang in the air as she slowly digested them. She imagined her mother would find them to be silly. A mere idea wouldn't make much impact on reality until a plan was formed, concrete and tangible. Then it must be executed with accuracy. Planting an idea simply wasn't enough, but the words themselves were poetic in a way.

"I think I see someone coming this way," Zelos commented almost to himself, but Leona heard.

She didn't pay it any mind. The day was ending and the stray traveler could be making their way to the closest inn they could find. She instead continued to look upward towards the sky returning to her blissful solitude

"Wait a minute…" he muttered.

Leona had dismissed his voice almost entirely as she closed her eyes. She vaguely heard the sounds of him climbing to his feet. A few moments later, there were more voices but they were background noise. The only thing that jolted her out her reverie was Zelos yelling her name. Her heart skipped a beat and she struggled a little to sit up. She turned to the ruckus now and saw that he was surrounded by two very familiar people.

"Uncle Genis, Aunt Presea?" Leona said in surprise.

"No time for pleasantries," Zelos said quickly. She noticed his sword was out defensively.

Before she could even decipher the scene before her, Presea started running towards her with an ax hoisted in both hands. Now Leona was on her feet ready to evade the ensuing attack which she did with ease considering how slow the woman was. When the ax struck the ground missing her completely, the ground cracked right where it had struck down. Taking a direct hit would not feel very pleasant. Presea continued to go after her relentlessly and Leona knew she had to start fighting back or else they would continue in the same way indefinitely. When Leona sidestepped to avoid another attack, she twirled on her heels and gave the other a nice, hefty roundhouse kick to her back and sent her flying. She felt guilty when her aunt crashed into the ground with an audible grunt. Leona ran over to her so that she could extract the weapon, but Presea gripped it with surprising fervor. She held it with one hand so she could not possibly attack her. Leona finally moved back so that the other could stand again. As soon as she had a good angle, Leona punched the other squarely in the guts before the other could even raise her arms for another strike. Needless to say, Presea fell to the ground after losing consciousness.

"Sorry, Aunt Presea," Leona said as she took the ax from her.

"Hey—a little help here!" Zelos said.

Zelos was practically getting chased around the field, Genis constantly firing small balls of energy towards him. Genis made it look easy as he appeared to only simply be playing with his kendama. She couldn't admire his technique for too long especially since Zelos was already on the ropes. Leona took advantage of the fact that Genis was concentrated on Zelos. She grabbed him from behind. He flailed and then relaxed as she fully engaged in the sleeper hold. In much the same way as Presea, she took the kendama from him so that he was relatively harmless.

She'd taken them down without even breaking a sweat. Despite the situation, she couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself. Presea and Genis would be out for a while. Realizing she hadn't heard from Zelos in a while, she turned to look back at him and found him sitting on his knees, obviously finding it difficult to catch his breath. It was then that she remembered what she'd been told before about his condition. She scrambled to her feet and reached him within seconds.

He was bent down so his ample hair covered his face, he was heaving so badly that she felt she had to do something, but what? One hand held his chest, the other gripped the ground. Then the hand which gripped the ground curled into a fist and hit the ground with feeble force.

"I'm…fine…" he said between breaths. "Go take care…of the other two…" he managed to say.

Leona watched the other continue to take great breaths and then shook her head. She couldn't possibly leave the other alone. "What do you mean? I won't leave you."

"Just…bring them together…don't leave them…out there like that."

Leona nodded. "Alright, but I'm not leaving you."

She set about taking the other two, setting them on the bottom of the cliff they'd be lounging on. As she did so, Zelos made his way there as well. She could finally see his face which was now pallid.

"Zelos, your nose," Leona said noticing a trail of blood coming down from it.

"Oh…" he said after a moment, "That happens sometimes."

"Are you really going to be alright?" Leona asked alarmed.

"Didn't I already tell you?" he said back as he sat down on the ground a few paces away from her.

Leona sighed and then looked away from him. "At least we know what's happened with those two. Lucas could be nearby and we have no idea where he is." She looked out into the horizon and found nothing. She half expected to find Lucas. "When will this all end? And why, oh why is Arcangela doing all this? To what end? And Lucas…what sort of things could she have told him to convince him that doing this to his friends was justified?"

She waited for the other to respond but he never did. Concerned, she looked towards him and found him lying down with his eyes closed.

"Zelos," she said anxiously. She moved over instantly to check his pulse and then after a moment realized that he was merely resting. "You like scaring me half the death, don't you?"

But he seemed to pay her no mind. At the very least, his breathing was relaxed and she could rest easy. It was as if an alarm went off in her head when the daylight began to dim—the sunset. They'd travelled there to see it. In the end, she was the only one to witness it that day. Slowly, the bright world around her darkened into night. When she checked on Zelos once again, she found him even more deeply asleep than before. She decided she'd stay there for the night in the open air. She couldn't sleep anyway and did not feel like returning to Asgard. She kept the kendama and ax nearby and waited the night out.

* * *

**Author's Note**: So, after thinking for a long while and noticing those annoying comments about X and Y pairing should be X and Z, I began to think of an entirely different next generation story. Also, my roommate had some influence as well. I think after I finish this story, I'll probably do a version 2 of this story with different pairings. I did have a sequel planned for this story as well since the conclusion to this story would be loose at best. Although I hesitate to do two stories at once, namely the sequel to this and a different next generation story altogether.

(Also, this chapter was rather short, but the next one probably won't be)

Jinseigami'Fell: Are you good at drawing? Wouldn't it be cool if I managed to have the characters drawn by someone with some talent. I myself can only manage stick figures. I mean, I've tried to draw anime, but it takes me a while to get it just right and now that it's been so long that I've tried, I've pretty much lost all skill. But thanks for reading. Already writing the next chapter which will probably be a bit more involved than this one.

Keko-the-Hybrid: I guess I didn't make it clear, but she was going on the Rhieaird to Asgard with Regal. Raine has already gotten used to the fact that Leona is more than capable of looking out for herself and she has the others with her as well as Felix. I didn't think she needed to say anything more. I suppose, though, she could have said something along the lines of "Be careful, kids"...


	19. To Heimdall

Chapter 19: To Heimdall

Her vision seemed to be focused on one little boy, though the term "little" didn't quite fit the description of him. He had glorious violet hair that shimmered in the light that fell down well past his shoulders and stopping there at his waist. He was a bit husky, but that was too kind a word-chubby fit far more appropriately and she could tell that just from looking at him from behind. He walked alone and other children his age seemed to ignore him completely. The ones who didn't, often snickered to themselves. But there was nothing shy or nervous about the child-he walked with purpose.

Leona knew that she was in some sort of school. A school that seemed full of other children with pointy ears and they wore them out without shame. She had no idea where she was, but she felt compelled to follow the strutting child. He stopped somewhere at a receptacle that resided in one of the wooden shelves that lined the walls. It was marked with a number. He pulled it out with a twist of his wrist, returning the books he had in his hands in it and then taking out another. A chid near him was doing the same thing who laughed under his breath. The boy turned to the other. That was when Leona was able to look upon the face of the boy more clearly.

"If you have something say, then say it already."

His voice was small, almost quiet but rather cute. His face was round and cherubic. His eyes however were a startling crimson red. Then she realized at that moment who she was looking at. Her eyes grew wide with surprise. Maybe she was simply jumping to conclusions...

"Who me?" the other child feigned confusion.

"I get it-too awestruck to speak to the likes of me. It's a perfectly normal reaction," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Wha-?"  
"See you in class," the boy interrupted the other before he could speak.

Leona wasn't sure if the boy had understood what the other was trying to get at or that he did and chose to ignore it. The latter seemed like something that was right down Felix' alley. She followed him into class and watched as he sat at the very front of the class. No one sat around him and the boy did not seem the least bit perturbed. He'd taken out a book and began to read completely unconcerned with everyone else.

Then the teacher came in. She was a tall, slender, beautiful dark haired elf who notably wore bright red lipstick and she smiled invitingly at the children. She began by saying good morning to the students and the children responded accordingly. Then she went into discussing what they would do that day. Leona realized that the children were being tasked with presenting something they had been working on for a few days. They were to read a paper-a short one which was a summary of the story they had read before. Leona hoped that she didn't have to sit through such tedious activities. After each child, they would critique the writing and whether it followed the criteria appropriately. Leona watched several children read and in her opinion they were quite sub-par, but the teacher took this as a time to reiterate and make clearer the purpose of a summary and what it should have. Leona supposed that it was effective to have ready examples to drive her points home. She was really waiting for Felix to read his and as if on cue, the teacher called his name.

"Felix, you're up," the teacher said pleasantly.

Leona's ears perked up when the elf finally took center stage. The other children had been a bit nervous, but there was not a nervous bone in his body even as the others snickered to themselves when his name was called. Even Leona wasn't sure what the others found so funny about him. Then he began, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, his eyes every once in a while looking up at the audience. He wrote in third person-some students had forgotten to do that. Every single sentence had impact on the topic as opposed to simply taking up space and the conclusion actually wrapped up the main idea and left a lasting impression. Leona thought the children looked around ten or eleven, but the words that he used seemed on a much higher level. When he was done, nobody clapped as they had done for the others. There was utter silence until the teacher finally spoke up.

"That was wonderful," the teacher said with genuine delight, "Children, is there anything that needs to be fixed?"

There was more silence and the teacher stood up and walked over to Felix.

"This is an example of a perfect paper. I would give this one an 'A' in a heartbeat. It has all the elements that we've discussed, it summarizes the story, and the main idea is quite clear and concise. Thank you very much, Felix, you may sit down."

Felix gave the other a chiefly nod and sat back down at his seat. Something like pride welled up inside of her. Of course Felix, the future professor, would have no problem here. School must have always been a breeze for him.

Slowly, however, as the next student was called up, the edges of her vision began to darken until it began to overtake the scene. Eventually, she was in a world completely devoid of color and she looked around herself in confusion.

"Leona..." a voice said to her though it sounded distant, but familiar. She knew it was him.

She turned to the source and jumped a little startled when she saw the tall elf standing there behind her

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his face unreadable.

Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Felix," she said uncertainly as she stepped a bit closer. "I don't...get it. Was that you...?"

"You will leave here at once."

* * *

Then she found herself waking up with a slight headache coming on. She looked up to the sky-it was night time. Was it the same night? She couldn't be sure. She was disoriented and it took her a few moments to gather herself. She sat up slowly.

They'd made camp that night: Felix, her mother, and Cathe. They were headed for Heimdall. After the Reunification, it was unclear as to where the place was, but Felix knew so they relied on his direction. Following the day that Leona had subdued her uncle and aunt, the group thought it was of the utmost importance to find a cure so a small party was chosen to venture there. The others would make their way to Mizuho where Sheena would be. They were hoping she had some information on either Lucas' or Arcangela's location. They also had the two Rhiairds they had with them at the time since there would be four that would need to be carried. Until a cure was found, Lloyd, Regal, Genis, and Presea would be kept there in Mizuho. Dragging them along everywhere would not be ideal.

She was anxious to see Heimdall, the land of the elves, but Felix said it would take some time get there. It had been a couple days and nothing at all eventful had occurred. There were a few battles here and there, but they were a solid team what with her mother's powerful magic and Felix' healing prowess. Leona knew they had little to worry about in terms of danger.

But this night had been different. This night, she had dreamed of Felix. She couldn't be sure, but it certainly hadn't happened before. Never had she seen something quite like that. Was it real? Was her imagination simply going wild? It was true that her thoughts often turned to Felix these days. She'd wanted to learn more about him, but he was not a conversationalist and she had felt blocked off completely. Then this.

She looked around at everyone and found nothing amiss. In the end, she simply chalked it up to her imagination running rampant. She lied down again and found rest easily until the next morning.

At the crack of dawn, their efficient little group set off once again with Felix in the lead. Her mother was right behind him and Cathe was beside her bringing up the rear. Leona imagined her father would not like that Raine had opted to travel with them on foot while carrying, but that would not stop her. There was increased determination there that she hadn't seen before and Leona found that she liked it.

Felix had nothing of incident to report of last night when she asked. She kept her own motivations for asking to herself, but the elf hadn't seemed to care in the least-it was beginning to annoy her. She couldn't be entirely sure, but it did seem as if he was becoming far more distant as of late.

Conversation was sparse among them. Only her and Cathe would be speaking and not for very long. Were it not for her presence, the journey would have been quite a silent procession. Another two uneventful days passed and then she was presented with another strange dream featuring Felix.

She was no longer in a classroom, at least not one of academics. She saw who she assumed was Felix at the same age as last time. He stood in the center of a room with a padded floor holding a staff. What could be assumed to be his instructor stood a respectable distance away with a staff of his own. All around other children watched.

"You're stalling Felix-the match has already begun and all you've done is stared at me."

Leona saw Felix' hand grip the staff a little harder. "I was only waiting for you, sir."

Almost before Felix even finished speaking, the man's staff came down on the boy and he was barely able to defend against the strike. The man's staff became a blur and before she knew it, Felix was on his back with a staff pointed at his throat.

"Again!" the man shouted.

Felix climbed back to his feet without comment and the same scene played out several more times before the child became clearly frustrated by the whole affair.

"Is that really the best you can do? What's wrong? Out of breath?" the man said pulling his staff away.

In fact, the child Felix was breathing quite hard and struggled to climb to his feet again.

"You've been here for a year and you've not improved in the slightest. You're too slow, your reflexes simply aren't there. As for this test, you have failed."

"But-

"There is absolutely nothing you can say to plead your case this time. I gave you chance after chance to master the basics." The man softly placed a staff upon the crown of his head. "I don't know where your path will lead you, but this is not the one for you."

It was then that one of the children who'd been watching started to laugh and then a few others joined in before the teacher silenced them all with a simple command.

"I see nothing funny here," the man said. "It takes a lot of guts to do what he's done here today; going against the grain and trying something completely out of his element-

"What do you mean completely out of my element?" It was first full sentence Felix had said since the man had been talking. "Every single one of us are beginners-we're all on the same boat. We all had to start from knowing nothing at all and then being taught."

"Felix..." the man said giving the other a pained look. "Whether you know it or not-you are clearly in an environment you're not used to. You have far more work to do than all the others."

There was a look of disbelief on the child's face as if he didn't quite understand, but at that moment, he slammed down the staff he'd been holding and stormed out of the room. Then the scenes started changing rapidly around her.

Then she was face to face with a woman, a decidedly pretty one who smiled at her.

"I want you all to myself," the woman spoke with breathy passion.

There were two other breathtaking looking women all sitting there on the bed in front of her. In fact, she was sitting on the bed as well, but she knew instinctively that she was not herself. She looked down at her hands, slender and mocha colored. They were all scantily clad women. One didn't even have on panties. Leona felt that she was intruding on something truly personal and she didn't want to see any further.

Then she was no longer on the bed, but on the outside looking in once again. This Felix still looked younger than the one she knew, but he was no longer a child. He did, however, look more like the Felix she'd come to know.

"I find you to be irresistible."

"Funny you should say that," Felix said, his voice not as deep as she remembered. He was fully clothed and he sat on the edge of the bed. "In fact, I'm not sure how you all managed to get in here."

"Door was unlocked," one woman said. "We just let ourselves in-didn't think you'd mind at all."

She saw a bit of a grin play on his face as he leaned forward to the closest woman who had just spoken and she too moved towards the other. Leona didn't think she could watch, but she found her eyes unable to turn away-her curiosity got the better of her. She wondered as she watched them kiss what it would be like to be lip-locked by him. The woman seemed to enjoy it, but it was over far too quickly. He pulled away from her abruptly much to the other woman's annoyance.

"Felix, baby, what's the matter?" she asked with a frown.

"How much of a fool do you think I am? Who put you up to this?"

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Nobody. I promise you," she said her hand reaching out to rest on one of his.

He pulled his hand away and crossed his arms. "You would say that-predictable. Why in your right minds would you think to invite yourselves into my room?"

"Because we like you, silly," the third woman said. She crawled on the bed closer to him-she was the one without panties.

"Get out, all of you," Felix said resolutely.

"What?" the first one said in a startled tone. "But we just got here and I was hoping we'd have a good time. Just relax, baby. You won't regret it..."

But Felix was not moved by her words. "Leave my room at once."

When they found that he wouldn't budge on his decision, eventually they did leave. It was depressing to say the least. Even though Leona did not want to be privy to a threesome, the women had left a bit dejected, their hopes dashed. After they left, the first one peeked her head through the door one more time.

"Maybe next time, huh?"

"Your tenacity knows no bounds," Felix said back with a frown.

"Look I have no idea what your problem is. I've never treated you with anything but respect and now you spit in our face as if you think you're better than us."

"Goodwin sisters blessing me with their presence of their own free will. That would be the day. We went to school together-or at least, we happened to go to the same school."

"Really," she said, "I think I would have remembered a guy like you. How in the world did I miss you."

"This joke is becoming far too elaborate. Everybody knows who I am. I was the guy with highest grades in the entire school."

"Oh my gosh," she said putting a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe it-you're that fat kid. You can't really be serious-that weird fat kid who always got perfect scores on everything. Wow, what in the world happened to you. You look so...different."

"Did you just call me...? I suppose it all makes sense now," he said thoughtfully.

"But you're so different now...sooo hot."

"Will you just leave already. I think I've had enough of your antics."

"What are you going on about? When I say something, I mean it. No one put me up to this."

Felix simply averted his eyes to let her know that he was no longer paying attention.

"Geez, you need to learn how to take a compliment."

"Don't worry, I don't think I'll have to worry about that."

"With a face like that you will," she said with a laugh. "I think it all makes sense to _me_ right now too," she said with a grin of her own. "Come see me and my sisters when you stop being so insecure."

Just like before, the edges of the scene began to darken until her entire world became black. She turned around instinctively to find Felix, the one who she knew, standing there.

"Again?" he said. His expression once again unreadable. "Will this become a habit of yours?"

"Felix...? Are you really Felix?" Leona said, her mind wrought with confusion.

"Leona...? Are you really Leona?-See how that sounds?"

Leona gave the other an annoyed looked. "You know what I mean."

"On the other hand, I suppose it is quite an existential question you pose. You could write books on it and still not really answer the question."

"You _know_ what I mean," Leona repeated herself, "I can't be sure if what I'm seeing is real or..."

"I guess you'll never know, will you? How could you ever be sure until you ask him? Will he feign ignorance, or is that ignorance true, or am I just leading you on?"

Leona frowned at the other. "You're useless-all you're doing is giving me _more_ questions."

"Useless? Far from it. I'm the guy who's going to save the world from subservience."

"I know. Useless as in, not helping me in this situation."

"Rather easy to be useless in your book, isn't it? I would like it immensely if you would leave me in peace. I am rather fond of my own privacy."

"I can...see that. I don't know how I got here. I just..it just happened."

"You may not know how you came to be here, but I know how to send you back."

"Send me-?"

Before she even knew it, Leona found herself waking up and it was deep into the night judging from the brightness of the stars. The flames of the fire had long since gone out and all around she could hear the sounds of sleep. She was the only one awake. With a heavy sigh, she lied back down again, but this time sleep did not come so easily. Her mind was too full of questions and she was afraid that they would never be answered.

* * *

Leona woke up to the sounds of voices, more specifically, her mother's and Felix's. Sadly, these were not tones of casual conversation. Then again, for some reason, she could not imagine them ever engaging with such a thing together.

"Just because you have a few healing moves does _not_ mean you have to be support every time. That's my job and I'm particularly good at it," her mother said.

"You have your little light magic-just stick with that."

"But it's so overkill for these small encounters and you, by the way, heal as if everyone's on the brink of death. Speaking of overkill."

"We don't need two supports-

"Yes, we agree on that. I just think it's a waste of energy when you're trying to do something that I can do on my own adequately. You have far more variety in your magic. I think it would be best if you focused on _attack_ magic rather than _support_ since I can do the latter."

"But-

"But what," Raine said in snappish tones, "You know I'm making sense."

"But," Felix repeated, "I like being support..."

"Really? And here I thought you had a real rebuttal."

"So, you really want me to stand around attacking as if I wasn't a far better healer?"

"Unless we run into something that's really difficult, yes. From now on, forget that you even know the word heal and just focus on attacking."

"And who heals the healer?"

"Felix, if I can heal others, then I can heal myself."

"Sure, but not when you're healing others. Besides, it seems to take you ages to pull off even one move."

"Well, excuse me, Mr. Professional. We can't all be world-class healers. How's our supplies looking?" Raine said completely moving on to the next subject.

"Plentiful," Felix replied singularly. "If you want, I can make something quick for us."

"Quick, huh? What I wouldn't give for some ice cream and shrimp..."

"Those all sound like the most nonperishable food items ever. I think I'll pull some out of this bag."

"Keep it up, Felix, you _will_ be receiving one of these soon," Raine said with a warning tightened fist.

"Oo, I better watch my back," he replied nonchalantly.

Leona decided to sit up then as Felix began cooking something over the fire.

"How did you sleep, honey?" her mother said as soon as she noticed her awake.

Usually, Leona would give her a standard quick response that would not cause the other to worry, but she decided to try something a little different. "It was a bit of a difficult night. Strange dreams." Leona watched Felix closely, but he did not even begin to react to her comment.

"Ah, it's probably because you're going somewhere you haven't been before," Raine said in knowing tones. "When you get there, I'm sure you'll be underwhelmed."

"And how about you, Felix?" Leona asked. Normally, she never asked such questions, but her curiosity burned brightly and she desperately wanted some confirmation.

At first she thought that he would ignore her altogether, but then her mother was there and that would be incredibly rude.

Felix only afforded her a glance. "Like a baby," he said back after a moment. He did not expound.

Was that really the case? Her eyes narrowed at the enigmatic elf. What else could she say without being awkward? She wracked her brain, but soon the moment was gone after Felix finished cooking. By then, Cathe had woken up as well. She was obviously a morning person as each and every day she greeted everyone with a cheerful "Good Morning". It was not quite the crack of dawn when they started out again, but it was close enough. Felix informed them that it would be another day before they reached their destination.

Their morning wasn't quite as uneventful as usual.

"Don't look now," Felix said when he spotted approaching enemies.

These were the flower creatures they'd fought before. Cathe had gotten poisoned by one of them, but her mother had taken care of that almost as soon as she was struck.

"Positions," her mother said quickly.

Leona was more or less the one who led the attack. She was the only one who could get up close and draw their attention. Sure, she had magic, but so did two other people in the party and she wasn't nearly as proficient as either of the adults. She started out hard and fast. She found this to be the most effective method of taking down a relatively weak creature easily. With a few arrows from Cathe and a quick fire blast from Felix. The first one was downed immediately, then they continued to pick them off one by one. For some reason, on the last one, Felix decided to show off. The skies seemed to darken a bit when a tornado of fire spun into existence and instantly killed the monster. It was fierce and burned anything in its path. Just as quickly as it had formed, it dissipated.

"Felix!" her mother growled, "I thought we agreed; we need to _conserve_ our energy not-You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

There was an unmistakably amused expression on his face. "It simply wouldn't be worth it without your reaction."

"I swear you're worse than a child. You know we run out of energy quicker these days."

"Oh, I'll be fine-don't get your panties in a bunch. Besides, we're wasting daylight with all your fussing."

"So _I'm_ the one slowing us down?" Raine began angrily with the other. "Why don't you try not getting on my last set of nerves?"

They'd already started moving forward, but it was clear that Raine wasn't finished with her rant. Leona wanted to butt in and tell her mother that she was being exceptionally rude, but Felix didn't seem offended. In fact he seemed to derive pleasure from it much to her mother's obvious annoyance.

Leona couldn't quite understand the elf. She couldn't find any amusement in her mother's anger. Perhaps there was something she was missing...or maybe he was simply odd. She'd never seen the like. Maybe everything had the opposite effect on him. If she asked him things directly, he would never answer, but if she _didn't_ ask him perhaps he would...But there in lied the problem. How would he know that it was a question she wanted answered? Maybe she could leave him clues, subtle ones without implementing herself in the execution. But then all of that sounded far too complex. She was probably over thinking things as she tended to do at times.

"So we'll reach Heimdall by night time?" Cathe said aloud when the argument between the two adults had died down.

"Well," Felix began thoughtfully, "I did say a day, but I didn't take into account the forest. So it's more like three more days."

Cathe was too shocked for words for a moment. "Three more days of walking? But we've been out here forever!"

Felix chuckled at this. "Yes, we'll reach Heimdall by nightfall if we make good time."

It took Cathe a few moments to catch on to what he was saying and when she did she was all smiles again. "I can't wait!"

"You're no fun at all. It must always be sunny in your world."

"I can't help it. I've heard so many things about Heimdall," Cathe said, her tone colored with delight.

"All lies, I'm sure," Felix said.

"Oh you're just trying to dash my hopes," Cathe said playfully.

"That is a pastime of mine."

"But I'm sure I'm going to be pleasantly surprised," Cathe continued.

"Well, we shall see in a couple of hours."

The couple of hours that Felix had spoken of seemed to drag on for much longer than Leona had anticipated. She knew however, that each step brought her ever so closer to their destination. The sun began to cross the skies as they were making the last stretch over a wide area of rolling hills according to Felix.

Their small party despite their urgent pace was intercepted and stopped completely before they ever arrived. There hovering in the sky appearing from seemingly nowhere was the form of Arcangela. She looked absolutely ravishing in her gown-like dress, her hair as dark as night making her milky white skin stand out. She had delicate features, a small, rounded nose, glittering hazel eyes and her slightly pointed ears. Though at first levitating, she decided to move down and stand on the ground.

"Felix, this charade has gone on long enough." She looked at him exclusively as if no one else was there and she walked towards him slowly. "Nothing you do here will bring her back-Lisa is gone. You have nothing to prove here. If you go any further, I will have to stop you myself."

"It's almost as if you care for my well-being-

"I do-

"That's enough," Felix said sternly. "I've been waiting for this. For you to come and stop me. It means I'm on the right track. You would never come here personally if that wasn't the case. You who would never get her hands dirty."

"Felix...Actually, I am glad that you're still alive. You may not believe it, but I did not want you to come to any harm before in the ruins. You were simply standing in my way. What I'm doing here is so much more important than my feelings, than either you or me. That is why I must stop you here and anyone else who would hinder my progress."

"I will end this right here and now," Felix said his hands already preparing to launch his first of many attacks.

Despite claiming to desperately want to be support, he was the furthest from that in this battle. The fight began before Leona even knew it. She had showed up so suddenly and now they were fighting for their very lives. Arcangela's magic was beyond anything she'd ever seen before. Almost instantly, elements from fire to wind would form in her hands without much provocation. Dare she say, the woman was far more proficient than Felix-and that was quite an achievement in Leona's opinion.

They were never able to get close. They had to fight her magic with their own. Cathe threw out only her magicked arrows tipped with oil that burned on contact or some that were tipped with fast-acting poison, but none of it seemed to affect her. Leona tried to attack her physically, but Arcangela would always smoothly evaporate into thin air and suddenly be elsewhere and she would do this every time Leona tried to approach. The woman knew what she was doing.

Despite their combined efforts and capabilities, it seemed as if they were hardly making any dents. Her mother had become the designated healer as Arcangela began to rain down on them more intently. Leona knew that Felix would have served better as the healer, but he could not be bothered with fulfilling that role. This was so very obviously personal for him, but because of that, Leona didn't think they were fighting at full capacity. How could she tell someone already so wrapped up in their own emotions. At times, it felt as if no one else besides Felix and Arcangela was there battling one another.

"Just like before, your strength is waning. I know you're holding back, Felix. It isn't supposed to be this easy." She levitated easily in the air.

"Or perhaps it is you who has simply become stronger. I imagined this going differently, but don't worry. I'm not done with you yet."

"Ooo, I get all tingly when you start talking like that."

Arcangela still sparkled even in the dying sunlight. The way they spoke to each other, it would not be much of stretch to assume that in the past her relationship with Felix had been something deeper. Perhaps they'd loved each other just as much as they hated each other now-it was something her mother had once told her was entirely possible. It was this phenomenon which had tore the world apart in the first place. Was she the kind of woman that Felix fancied? Older, more accomplished; strong and fiercely independent? Leona shook her head at this. Now was not the time for such thoughts. In fact, now was the time to get out of dodge as Arcangela unleashed a torrent of slicing wind through the air at all of them at once. Leona might have been able to evade the first two strikes, but a third one struck her down directly and she felt a pain like no other as she crumbled to her knees.

How could one hit take her down so spectacularly? It had torn through her clothes, blood pouring freely from the fresh wound. She was too much in pain and shock to do much else besides sitting there on her knees. Then in the snap of a finger, the slash was no longer there, the wound completely healed. She looked up in surprise and knew that it had been the work of Felix. Her mother could not do something so instant.

"I think I've found your weakness," Arcangela said with a broad smile. "You've been so focused on attacking me and yet...the moment I attack that girl, you heal her without a second thought."

"I would do that for anyone," Felix declared.

But Arcangela was looking at her. Leona leaped back to her feet in response readying herself for the woman's onslaught. The woman's hand twitched and Leona was instantly looking for where the attack would come, but nothing occured.

"Leave her alone-Your fight is with me," Felix said with a slight edge to his tone.

He seemed more upset that he was being ignored. His hand came up as well, but then a split second later, Arcangela's arm shot out and sent him flying a good few yards away.

"If you don't stand down, I will kill this girl," Arcangela said with a knowing grin. "Even after all these years, you are still an open book, Felix."

Leona looked over to the tall elf who was finding it difficult to climb back to his feet. Arcangela had been right-his strength was fading. Then she was looking at Arcangela directly, the woman who had threatened her life. Such audacity, that woman who could say those things so lightly as if life was some plaything of hers. Her eyebrows furrowed at this.

"I don't need anyone to protect me. If I incapacitate you first, then your threat will be null," Leona finally said.

"Aw, isn't that cute? You think you're a match against me, little girl? I know your limits and you are about to reach them. Don't overstep your boundaries to the likes of me."

Leona felt a strange kind of anger building up inside of her. She was being called a little girl. She was being told that she was in over her head and she was beginning to get tired of such comments. Zelos believed in her. Without her actions, they would not have even made it this far and yet in the end, she's still considered in excess of.

Arcangela nonchalantly swatted away a couple of arrows that was thrown at her from Cathe who thought she could get her unawares. Her mother was quite fatigued by this time and Leona did not want her to wear herself out anymore-she was in no condition for any serious battles like this one.

The words formed in her mind as she spread her arms out beside her. She decided that she'd use the last of her energy to take out that woman once and for all. In her mind she could picture it, the earth-shattering move that would destroy her. She did not understand the words she spoke, but as she said them, the woman's face turned to that of surprise.

"What is-" She looked over at Felix, "You fool what have you-"

Those were the last words she heard from the woman as the energy left her body all at once. The sky seemed to have turned white before she collapsed from lack of energy. She had no idea if she'd even pulled off the move, but as she lost consciousness-she wondered how she had ever thought to use such an attack. It was as if her thoughts were no longer her own.

* * *

AN: Finally! Finished another one. I hope you enjoyed.

Romina78: Felix probably won't even have a chance to train her by the time I plan to end this fic. But she is gaining confidence, hopefully in time to stop Arcangela. The next chapter will definitely be fun for me to write.

Jinseigami'Fell: It was defintely the calm before the storm. I checked out the pineapple gel and, yes, it's in percentages. Woops. But I think I'll keep it in there and just act like it wasn't a mistake lol.


	20. Synchronization

Chapter 20: Synchronization

"Will you read me a story tonight?" a little girl's voice said; it was small and weak.

She was diminutive and appeared almost lost among ample bedding. Her skin was pale and held a sickly tinge. Her eyes were wide and a bit too shiny. They were unseeing eyes which usually looked upwards at nothing in particular. Long brunette hair fell around her recently brushed and her eyes were a deep umber.

"Of course I will," the tall elf replied, "Just as I do every night."

"I was just...a little worried."

"Worried? What has you so troubled?" Felix asked.

"I heard you...and Mom arguing downstairs..."

"Oh, you heard that? It was only a small disagreement. It was resolved quickly."

The little girl shook her head. "It was about me...wasn't it? I'm the reason why...you have to live like this..." she said weakly.

"No," he said shaking his head, "No, none of this is your fault. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I wouldn't trade the time I've spent with you for anything."

The little girl coughed before responding, "But you know that's a lie. I ruined everything for you. I ruined your life-

"I will not hear any more of this. I made my decisions and I don't regret any of them. It is not you that is wrong, but the world and that cannot be changed overnight." Felix sat beside the bed but now he bent over closer as he ran a hand down her hair which framed her face. "I will not hear any of it," he said in a softer tone, "I'm not angry, resentful, or otherwise unhappy. Perhaps I'm not one who smiles all the time, but I am quite happy to be here with you. Knowing that you're safe, knowing that I can keep you safe gives me peace of mind."

"When you say things like that..." Her eyes began to water up, "Sorry, I don't mean to cry. It's just, I've always been so alone...I didn't think anyone in the whole wide world would ever care whether I lived or died...and now I want to live because of you.

The bed began to disappear along with the room itself until there was nothing left. Then the room was there once again, the small child still there, but her eyes were closed. Felix stood there beside her bed along with a woman who could be identified as Arcangela.

"No, this can't be..." Felix said, his voice wavering. "I thought..." He looked back at Arcangela who's reaction seemed lukewarm at best.

"I tried the best I could, Felix, but her disease claimed her too quickly."

"What exactly were you doing down there anyway?" Felix questioned with a slight edge.

"I don't think I like your tone-I did the best I could. You as well. There is no one to blame here."

Then the elf's gaze returned to the girl. "Sorry..."

Tears began to fall from his eyes crawling down his cheeks. At first they came at snail pace, but they continued to come as he covered his mouth. Arcangela placed a hand upon his shoulder and then shook her head despondently before turning to leave.

"I think I'll...leave you two alone for awhile."

"Arcangela," he said, his voice sounded hoarse now as he turned to her sudden retreat.

"Please, don't mind me. I just...hate crying."

She left him without another word and closed the door behind her. When he was alone, Felix did not use the chair which still sat there beside the bed. He used his knees instead so that he could be closer to the bed itself as he laid his head upon it and sobbed into it. He continued to cry and cry and cry grasping onto the comforter as if holding on to dear life. When he was done, he turned his head to her still, silent form, his eyes still moist.

"Did you...did you want to hear a story?" he asked her weakly, "It's not one I've told anyone...You won't find it in a book anywhere...No one would be interested, no one besides you."

He lifted himself from the bed now so that he could speak clearer.

"There was a time when I hated school. I hated being ignored by everyone. I used to think so highly of myself, I suppose I still do, but back then it was the only thing that kept me from...doing something silly like suicide. I don't claim to understand what you've had to experience for most of your very short life, but I was alone as well. I was alone for a very long time. No one would be bothered with me and I wasn't the easiest person to get along with. I didn't want to be anyone other than myself and I didn't want to change just to fit in with everyone else. One day I decided I'd run home to prove something to myself. I wanted to know if my martial arts teacher had been right if I simply was not fit enough to manage any sort of training. I ran like my life depended on it and like an idiot I tripped and fell on my own clothes, those silly, pompous robes and skid my knee pretty badly.

"I was alone, you see, just like always and those nearby pretended as if I was invisible. So I sat there crying like a baby, hating everything. Hating my teacher, hating the students who went to school with me, the damn cement which had the audacity defile my knee, the sky for being so bright and happy when I wasn't; everything. No one came to help me. From that moment on, I decided that I could not depend on anyone besides myself. If I couldn't do something, then there was no option B. I wanted to be a healer, I wanted to be able to protect myself against anything, and I wanted to be so clever that I would never be tricked or ridiculed again. I wanted to be perfect and totally self-sufficient. I limped all the way back home blood running down my knee and all. That night, I began to study and since then I've never stopped.

"They said they were so impressed by me, accolades from everyone, but I felt so very empty inside. I could not love, only hate. I cared so little about people. I took joy in others' pain. I was utterly lost and really, though from the outside my life seemed painted in gold, my future bright, I did not look forward to it. I did not look forward to life or even the next day. It would come and I would grudgingly play my role. And then there was you. They say you don't know what you have until it's gone-whoever doesn't are fools. You meant the world to me and I could not even bear to think of you not being there. I know you didn't set out to do it. You had your own problems to deal with and for some reason you saw me as your savior. You saw me as a far better person than I really I was. You believed in it so wholeheartedly, that even I began to believe and then I think I became that person. I didn't think I could change, I don't think I even wanted to, but...it simply happened. You had that power. If only people could have known you as I've known you, they would not be so quick to hatred.

"You were so concerned about being a burden. You were never that. In fact, there were days I wondered why you put up with me and my shenanigans. Yet you called me your father and I fancied you as a daughter and then there was Arcangela, the bedraggled woman you dragged home because she looked so hungry and lost," Felix chuckled at this, "You loved bringing home strays. If you could, you would have saved the whole world. It was as if we were a family. We were a family, we are a family. For all my prowess in healing, I could not save you. You don't mind...if I stay with you tonight. I promise you, I haven't lost all my senses-tomorrow, I will put you to rest; you who possess my heart."

He laid his head back on the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. The sun rose and then the sun fell again. The bed was empty yet freshly made up and Felix remained there, not sleeping on the bed properly but across it as if there was someone there in it. The door to the room whipped open and in stepped Arcangela. She was clearly upset.

"You pitiful man," the woman said angrily. "You've done nothing more than sit in this room staring at nothing. Now I know you're still a bit down because of Lisa's death, but when are you going to move on already?"

Felix was, in fact, not asleep, but staring at the square brown pillow where Lisa's head used to lie. "Easy for you to say," his voice cracking somewhat with disuse, "You hardly cared about her."

"How _dare_ you! Just because I'm not a pitiful wreck-I thought you were stronger than this. I need you, Felix."

"For what?" he said despondently, "I'm completely useless..."

Arcangela sighed exasperatedly and then crossed her arms. "You know what? You _are_ completely useless. Utterly! Honestly, I didn't think you'd still be like this after a are still things that need to be done and I had hoped that you would be at my side."

"What are you going on about?" he said drearily.

"Felix, are you going to stay there forever or are going to help me?"

"Help you with what?"

"Saving the world."

"Maybe I've actually gone crazy, but did you say 'save the world'?"

"Yes, silly, it is a grand scheme, I know, but I've been working on this for a very long time. Now is the time finish it all."

"I don't think the world actually needs saving," Felix said confused, "And even if it did, I could give a damn about it. How could they hate such a girl as Lisa-I was one of those people as well. You think the world is in danger, then let whatever comes come. We miserable bastards deserve it."

"I swear, Felix, I am _done_ with you. I am tired of your attitude. I don't like that you've completely given up!"

She twirled on heels and moved smoothly out of the room slamming the door behind her. The sun continued to rise and set and after a few more days, Felix was found lying sprawled on the bed no longer sitting off to the side and his eyes were closed but he was not asleep. The door opened again with a calmer Arcangela.

"Oh, how I feel sorry for you, Felix. Has life ended completely for you? Did your spirit die along with Lisa?"

His eyes were opened now and he looked towards her. His expression could not be called despondent, happy, or even calm, it was simply blank, there was nothing there to be read.

"I think I would rather tell you the truth before it eats me up inside. I think it would be therapeutic for me and perhaps your anger might move you to live once again." As she sighed, his eyes looked up towards the ceiling. "I killed her." She waited for a reaction, but he remained still. "I killed her, it was all a trick that you fell for hook, line, and sinker. I pretended to be this homeless woman; she brought me home. She became ill after I arrived at the house, don't you remember? I was looking for a subject, the perfect subject, with the perfect DNA. Lisa was that perfect specimen. I embarked on my experiment before I really knew you. I fell in love with you, but I had to finish my studies. I was so close to a solution. I fell in love with a man who could love a girl who was not his own as a daughter and you shared that love with me. No one had ever done that for me before. I knew that you would be torn up over her death, but what if I had stopped? I would have to find some other poor victim. You would get over it, you would have children with me and learn to love them as well. We would still have a family and my experiments would have been a success. All of this can still happen. You must understand, however, that I did this not maliciously but for the sake of the world. A world that may soon find its end if nothing is done soon. Well, Felix, say something, say something finally."

His eyebrows had creased, his eyes had grown wide. He sat up from the bed as if something had possessed him and he stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. "Do you mean? I could have saved her? I could have...revived her? What have you-?"

"Is that all you can say?"

"You _watched_ her die. You _watched_ her suffer everyday and you _pretended_ to give a damn about her...At least...You were always so cold and distant...I thought it was because you'd lived a rough life, that you wanted to protect yourself, but it was really because you are a plain and utter bastard. You come in here..." He could no longer speak as his fists began tighten up. He gripped them so hard that his nails began to bite into his skin and blood began to seep from the crevices of his knuckles. They shook until they began to pale.

"Felix, please, calm down. I know you're angry. You have every right to. Speak to me, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I want to watch you suffer," he said, his voice dark and terrifying, "I want to watch you die slowly, I want you to beg for mercy and then I want to watch as the life disappears from your very eyes. You would take another life so...so _casually_. There is not a single reason you could use to explain yourself."

"I...I had to do this. One day you'll understand."

The very ground she stood on began to rumble. The house began to shake violently and Felix gazed at the other with all-consuming hatred.

"Thank you, Arcangela," Felix said as he climbed out of bed, slowly spreading his hands out once again though sticky with blood. "I'd forgotten how to hate-it feels so glorious. Like an old friend I get to meet after such a long time."

The rumbling continued. Pictures fell to the ground, everything swung off their hinges, dishes rattled and crashed to the floor, chairs toppled over, lamps and light bulbs shattered easily. Felix slowly moved towards the woman and she began to back away from him at the same pace. This continued until they made it to the outside, the light momentarily blinding the tall elf who had not stepped foot outside for a long while. He fell to his knees in weakness as well, but not before the very house they'd just occupied collapsed upon itself. Arcangela seemed to regain her former confidence in the presence of his weakness.

"Don't strain yourself, honey," she said as she bent down along with him so that she could lift up his face to her.

A trail of blood crawled from his nose, but his expression was no less vehement.

"You haven't been eating properly, you've not even bothered to step outside of that room for much of anything-in short you were simply wasting away. I'm surprised you had even this much energy."

She leaned forward and kissed him whereupon he bit down on her bottom lip drawing blood from her. Instinctively, she slapped him sharply across his face, but he did not seem affected by it. He was looking down again in his apparent exhaustion.

"If you can feel anger, then in time, you can feel other things as well and eventually you will come to understand my decisions-you will forgive me and we shall join forces again. Until then," she said standing up and turning away from him. "Don't die. I will return to you in due time. Oh and I sent for the authorities. Since you're too weak now to defend yourself, expect to be apprehended with ease. In jail, you shall have time to think on things."

"How could I have been tricked so easily...? I never suspected you the whole time. I couldn't protect her...This pain that I feel right here in the pit of my stomach-it won't go away until I see to your death."

The very sky began to darken and soon the surroundings as well. Leona found herself once again. She was beginning to regain control. She felt as if she was floating in midair.

"Release me..." It was Felix's voice, she could tell immediately, but it sounded weary.

"Felix..." Leona said uncertainly. "Where are you?"

Her eyes strained to look into the darkness, but she could not see a thing.

"Right here," he said.

Then she began to see it; the silhouette of the mocha elf except that he was turned away from her.

"I try and try to open my eyes, but there is some force which stops me. I realized it was you. Always there. Always intruding."

"What are you talking about?"

"I assume your ignorance is not pretend. I know for a fact that it has been more than a day since I've been in this state and I have better things to do."

"I don't understand. Those things I was seeing-were they real?"

He finally turned to her, his expression the picture of calm. "You always ask that and it is of no consequence. Time is becoming a precious commodity and yet you lie here as if you have all the time in the world."

"Yes, I remember. We were fighting Arcangela and then-I'm not sure what I did at the end. Those words were elvish, weren't they? Did I somehow...? Did you make me do that?"

Felix frowned at the other. "I've never forced anyone to do anything they don't want to do. You spoke the very words I was thinking verbatim and you had no business attempting such a technique. You could have died right then and there."

"I had no idea. I just...wanted to take down Arcangela. She's the reason we're even in this mess in the first place."

"You had no idea?" Felix asked, his annoyance coloring his tone. "Think, Leona. Did you suddenly learn a new language in the span of a split second? Do you always spout every random thought that comes to your mind?"

"I-well..." It was difficult to explain her actions logically. It had all been in the spur of the moment. She'd desperately wanted to do something and then it had simply fallen into her lap. She hadn't even been thinking, she'd simply reacted.

"And now, you've trapped me here, where I have little control."

"What is 'here'?" Leona asked intrigued.

"What can only be assumed to be your mind."

"So before...it was the other way around? But why then was I still seeing your dreams or memories?-I have no idea which."

"I don't have the answers nor do I care to."

"If only you'd be more upfront with me and stop being so secretive, we could figure this out together. You need to tell me everything you know about this. You were able to send me back last time. How?"

"I don't claim to understand what 'this' is, but I've heard of similar occurrences. Obviously, I'm not physically here nor were you vice versa. Your thoughts control this world and it is your thoughts that can shape it in any way you see fit. 'Sending me back' would be as simple as not thinking about me."

"_Not_ thinking about you?, but you're all I ever think about-" She realized she'd spoken too soon, but it was already done and it could not be taken back.

"I-I see," he said. She began to blush. "I had no idea I was so...popular. Would it be too much to ask to spare a thought for something a bit more constructive? Like say, how in the world are we going to stop Arcangela's scheme? Is it already too late to save Lucas?"

"Arcangela," Leona said suddenly, "Did I...?"

"Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Anything could be happening and we'd have no idea. Leona...would you please release me from your state of unconsciousness?"

"I'll try," Leona said closing her eyes.

There was always the fact that she had no idea what was happening to the other two who had been with her. They could both already be dead. What if Arcangela had remained unscathed even after that attack? What was she doing anyways besides making things far more difficult than it needed to be? When she opened her eyes again, he was no longer there and she gave a sigh of relief. She wondered why thinking of the elf had become an all-consuming thing. It was embarrassing to say the least and to make it even worse, now he knew about it. How would she ever be able to look at him in the face again without turning red?

* * *

It felt as if it was only moments later when she was opening her eyes to the world of reality. She could tell immediately when this was the case and not another dream. That she was lying in a bed came as a bit of a surprise to her. For some reason, she had thought her circumstances to be a bit more precarious. It was quiet as well and the bed that she found herself in was made for someone much bigger than her.

Slowly, she stepped out of bed. She was still in the same clothes she'd been wearing prior; perhaps it hadn't been too long. She walked out of the room she was in. As she looked around, she knew she had to be in someone's residence. There were framed pictures on the wall, many of them old, some a bit newer. But what she found odd about them besides the fact that the individuals in them were all elven possessing varying degrees of brown skin tones were their characteristic plumpness. Some were rotund, especially the women. All of them had some degree of chubbiness to them. The more she looked, the more she began to wonder who's home she was currently occupying. Eventually, she turned from them and walked down the stairs directly in front of her which led straight to the living room where she immediately found Cathe playing with a deck of cards. Carefully the girl placed the cards into a pyramid form on the ground clearly intent upon finishing it.

"Cathe?" Leona said interrupting the girl.

She jumped up as soon as she knew who it was and ran over to her to grip her in a tight hug.

"Leona! Oh I'm so glad you've finally woken. It's been three days!"

Leona's eyes widened at this, "That long? Was...Felix alright?"

"Huh? Felix? Yeah, he's fine. For a short while, we thought he'd lost consciousness too, but he was fine. Man, that move you did on Arcangela really did a number on her-"

"Is she dead?"

Cathe shook her head. "I don't think so, but she did retreat afterwards. I guess she thought it wasn't worth the effort any longer. It was her one against the rest of us."

"So everyone's alright," Leona said relieved.

"After a few gels, yeah, everyone made it out alive."

"And how in the world did we get here? Are we in Heimdall? Where's the others now?"

"Woh, woh, slow down. Come, sit down with me. I'll tell you everything."

Leona realized that Cathe had barely finished embracing before she was drilling the other with questions. "Sorry..." she said realizing she might have been being a bit insensitive.

"There's nothing to apologize for," Cathe said sitting down on the plush carpet, "I know everything has to be so confusing now. One moment you're out there fighting Arcangela, the next everything's all quiet and cozy."

Leona sat down cross-legged upon the carpet. There were sofas as well, but they had decided to avoid them altogether. Not that she minded, but obviously Cathe was a bit more interested in continuing her solitary card game of pyramids. As she spoke, she continued to lay down the cards.

"We made it, first of all. We're in Heimdall right now. It was night and the guards at the door knew Felix and they just let us in no explanation. In fact...I think Felix knows a lot of people here as far as females go."

Leona's eyebrows creased at this. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean 'what do you mean'? I'm saying that a lot of females know him. Another woman who was on guard duty took us on a route in which we wouldn't be seen. Then we made our way to Felix's parents' house. We would have went to his, but it has long since been abandoned after his banishment-it would raise too much suspicion if it seemed like it was being lived in again."

"Oh, you should have seen his parents. Just very happy, jolly people. You wouldn't think a guy like Felix was surrounded by all that positive energy at home. Turns out, it'd been years since they'd heard hide or tail of him-it was a happy family reunion. They were just glad he was alive. And they made us this big dinner and said we could stay as long as we needed. I swear, we talked all night. They're just so understanding. I think I learned more about Felix than I ever would have otherwise."

"Like?" Leona asked.

"Like after he was banished from Heimdall, he was later arrested for the alleged murder of the half-elven girl, Lisa, the same one who he had been banished for. That at the time, he'd been seeing Arcangela. She slowly and methodically killed the little girl for her own selfish gains and then pinned her death on Felix. And he said all that to his parents without any sort of sugarcoating. Their reaction?-Well, they just wanted to know why he didn't come to them for help. And his response was that he simply did not want them involved with all of that. They were considered good, upstanding residents of Heimdall-he didn't want to throw their lives into turmoil over his decisions. Leona, what's wrong-it's like you've seen a ghost."

"No," she said shaking her head, "I'm fine...it's just a lot of information to take in," she lied.

In reality, Leona was a bit surprised over what she already knew. She wondered if their candid evening had been because of what she already knew. Perhaps he simply did not think it pertinent to continue on not saying anything if she could simply blurt it out anytime.

"Well, anyway, the very next day, bright and early, your mom and Felix headed over to the academy to begin research on the strange malady that Lucas is able to place on so many people at once. They left me here to look after you when you wake. But really, I think they just wanted me to stay out of the way while they researched."

"I'm sure that's not true."

Cathe grinned at her, "I can't say I was ever good at school...and research was always a disaster. Concentrating on one thing?-always a torture."

"So all we can do now is wait," Leona said with a sigh.

"Want to play a card game with me?" Cathe asked.

Leona looked down at the cards and admittedly, she had no interest in them so she politely declined. "Did you see any books lying around here?"

"Hmm..." Cathe said thoughtfully, "Try the den over there," Cathe said pointing to a closed door.

"Am I allowed in there?" Leona said concerned.

"They said we could go into any room we wanted," Cathe said with a smile.

"Well...alright."

Leona climbed to her feet again and made her way inside. It wasn't quite a grand library. In fact, there was only one full shelf of books and as she glanced through the titles, she realized that they were all romance novels. Just as she was trying to convince herself to settle for one of them, she found one book which looked promising, at least it wasn't a novel: _Finding True Love Could be Just Around the Corner_. Sure, it was still about love, but it seemed like an informative read. There was an illustration of a no-nonsense woman on the cover, a bit heavy-set and completely dolled up. Leona was reading even before she could take a seat. Just like that she was absorbed into the book.

She didn't think she'd like reading about love, but she enjoyed the frank tone of the literature juxtaposition to the topic. She'd made it halfway through the text and she wanted to find a more comfortable spot. She completely ignored Cathe as she stepped out of the room and traveled all the way upstairs back to the room she'd woke in. It was then she arrived at a chapter that truly piqued her interest.

_A rare occurrence which only happens among elven folk is something called Love Synchronization. Every once and a while, a person may find their true love, eternal partner-a mate in which you are so perfectly synced that your minds are as one. No two minds are the same of course, but you would come to understand each other so well that it would be practically the same. So how does one know that this phenomenon is occurring to them? A very good question. Reports say that it starts out gradually. So if any of those reading became a bit frightened about the prospects of having someone else's entire life dumped into their laps-have no fear. Most say it occurs in dreams at first. Of course, since these are ones that you can remember without having been awakened in the middle of it, they cannot be defined as "dreams". It is a misnomer. In reality, it would be more accurate to say that you would be experiencing someone else's memories. Here is where the accounts become a bit varied. Some say that they experience the memories as if they were that person, others say that they've only experienced them by looking on the outside in. Still others say they experience it as if they were in many places at once. The wackiest account being that they experienced all three ways at different times. That does raise a question about memories in general. Intuitively, many would assume that one would experience them looking through the eyes of another. But what about those who detach themselves from the situation? And what about those who are extraordinarily self-conscious? If it is indeed memories that one is seeing, it is then dictated by the perception of the person who's memories you are experiencing._

Leona turned the page. She was now reading at an almost lightning fast speed with an increasingly eerie feeling coming over her.

_However way you experience them, it is indeed one of the most impacting ways of learning about the other even if that person hasn't said a word to you. Often distressing situation occurs when the synchronization is with someone you don't know very well. Then the question becomes, is that person experiencing the same thing? Does that person like me as well? By all accounts, the answer to those questions should be yes if this phenomenon is true. There is only one way to find out-ask the person and see what they say. But far worse is the situation in which this occurs with someone other than the person you're already involved with...That, however, is another can of worms that we will not get into at the moment._

_ A feeling that reports have described as warmth and peace is often felt by tactile events. It could be as simple as a finger tapping a shoulder or even looking at the person in the eyes. Later, as the connection deepens, you begin to feel what the other is feeling especially if it is traumatic or life-threatening. And finally, at the last stage, you would be privy to the other's thoughts at any given time. As headache inducing as this sounds, most have claimed to be able to control such things._

She closed the book then so that she could calm her racing heart. The symptoms described here matched her own almost exactly. One thing was for certain though, Felix did not spend exorbitant amounts of time thinking about her. Then again, she wasn't sure what he was thinking about half the time. Apparently, that was about to change in due time. The text mentioned having control over such things and Felix seemed to have that, she did not. But there was one thing she had to keep in mind-there could still be a reasonable explanation to it all. It was difficult not to jump on the bandwagon when the text had been so clear and she could find no other explanation. Really, the only way she could know for sure was by asking Felix. She wondered how in the world she would work up the courage. If she was to ask, she would ask plainly and quickly just to get it over with. Even so, would he elect to be honest? And what of their age difference? She knew he couldn't be young and she had only just turned 13 which was old enough to marry in the eyes of the government so said her father. What if it was her youthfulness that was the only problem? Better yet, was she concerned about those things? She found that she did not care so long as the feelings were there, but would her parents feel the same? She was getting a bit ahead of herself, though. The feelings had to be mutual or else there would be nothing. She knew that much about love even if she didn't know a lot. Of course, after reading this book, she had a better understanding of it. From what she learned, there wasn't a soul in the world who _knew_ love. Love was a leap of faith. Love was taking a chance and exploring one's feelings. Whether one was a novice or a veteran, that was always the case.

She flipped the book open again. She still had less than half of the text left and finally it had moved on to other interesting subjects. She estimated it would take perhaps another few hours to finish it all off and then she supposed she'd take a nap as it was beginning to get late and she'd heard no news from the others. Her mother could easily spend days researching on one topic and she was sure Felix was the same way.

* * *

After finishing off the book, she finally closed it and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. There was a window nearby. She opened the curtains a little to peer outside. All she could see was forest and more forest. A knock on the door-frame drew her attention immediately and there in the doorway was none other than Felix who looked quite well and had changed into something that was not his usual attire of robes. He looked halfway normal with dark tan culottes, knee-high boots, and a maroon colored leather jacket. Still he wore his hair in the same hairstyle as always as if he had never once dreamed of not wearing a ponytail-and Leona knew that wasn't true. In his hand he held a hot cup of tea on a saucer. Leona could smell it even from where she was sitting-Chai Tea, her favorite. He seemed to have a knowing look on his face.

"Like the view?" he asked her, "I'm sure the dark and foreboding forest should perk up anyone's mood."

_Sarcasm_ she thought. It was almost always his go-to form of communication. She watched as he set said hot tea on the nightstand near her.

"You made that for me?" Leona asked. He gave her a quick nod. "But it's my favorite. How did you know?"

"I know a great many things about you, Leona."

"I guess Mom wouldn't shut-up about me."

"Who, Boss Lady? The only thing she talked to me about was what books _I_ should look through and which she would be looking at as if I hadn't the faintest clue where to start. Or when she looked through my notes she complained about how horribly garbled they were. It was getting late so I decided to leave her to what she seems to do best. We're practically finished and just as I thought there is a viable solution to our problem. The only issue is in it's execution, but I would hate to steal her thunder so I will speak no more on it until _she_ thinks we're ready to."

"Today must have been pretty trying," Leona commented.

"Only the parts in which I had to communicate with her which was far in between."

"But that still doesn't answer my question about the tea."

"I'm sure you wouldn't like the answer 'wild guess'." Leona shook her head no. "By the way, did you really leave poor happy-go-lucky Cathe down there by herself playing card games whilst you become lost in some book?"

"You're changing the subject," Leona said matter-of-factly.

"Hm, I am, but that girl was practically begging me to play with her as soon as I stepped through the door. So I stayed down there for a good hour-or was it two?-playing countless games with her. And it was she who suggested I bring you something like tea since you hadn't eaten nor drank anything since the day began."

"And then _she_ told you about the tea."

"It doesn't take much to get her started. Let's just say that. I don't think I've ever known a person who could talk for hours straight. It's a gift really. Cathe and uncomfortable silence don't belong in the same sentence."

"Oh, I see," Leona said hoping she'd hidden the disappointment from her tone.

She had spoken with Cathe at length about tea and a plethora of other topics. She'd thought she'd found the perfect segue into what she wanted to talk to him about, that he'd finally "slipped up". But that would be too easy.

"Although, I didn't come up here for my health."

Leona's ears perked up-if that was possible-when he said this.

He sighed heavily. "There's something that's been bothering me."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't immediately. "About?" she asked.

"Geez, I've never been this tongue-tied before. I think it would be easier if I just said it plainly." Then he began slowly. "You are like an open book to me. I think I know almost everything there is to know about your life, about your wants, your likes, dislikes, and everything in between. I know it sounds crazy and it's understandable that you would-"

"No," she said interrupting him, "I believe you."

"You do?" he said incredulously.

She could only nod.

"Well, this is going far differently than what I imagined."

The same phenomenon as before was occurring at this very moment. When he looked at her, she became utterly caught up in his gaze and she could not look away, she could hardly even speak and her heart was racing. She wondered if he felt the same, but she doubted it. As always he seemed in complete control.

"That time when we first met. You remember-with the exploding caravan, your feisty little friend not knowing when to shut-up? Yes, I think it was then when I heard your voice in my mind. It was you who stopped me from doing what I had planned to do in the first place."

"And what was that?" Leona managed to say.

"I was just so angry at the time. It was a smoldering hatred in which I wanted nothing more than to destroy anything who happened to be in my path. I wasn't really thinking at all, working off of reserves I didn't know I had, beyond exhausted, delirious even. That little girl was going to catch her death and then I would have hated myself for all eternity. But then I heard your voice, before you ever said a word, before I even caught sight of you."

"I had no idea I was thinking of something so positive as to halt your original plans," Leona said flabbergasted. She was surprised because firstly, he could already read her mind so early on and she could not do the same to him and secondly, it was because of her that they'd not been killed outright. The thought was a bit frightening to say the least. But she knew she could become caught up in the world of "what ifs". What mattered was what _did_ happen.

"No, it wasn't what you said. Your voice was indecipherable as far as words go, but the sound of it...It was calming for whatever reason and I did not realize that it was you until I heard you speak more than once and then thought about it later. That was the first time and then on many other occasions, I heard you as clear as day even though you hadn't said a word to me physically. I knew your thoughts even when you were nowhere near-

"But how?" Leona asked a little too loudly.

This seemed to startle the other. "I know it's hard to swallow-

"No, it's not that," she said calming down now. "It's just-this whole time. Why is it I could never tell? That whole time I was wondering and you knew and you never thought to tell me anything, just continue to watch me be confused."

"I'm sorry."

This gave her pause. She hadn't been expecting an apology. She expected him to have some excuse.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I suppose that makes me quite a devilish person. But I enjoyed-

"Watching me suffer?"

"No," he said shaking his head, "listening to your thoughts. Watching as you slowly began to make sense of things in your strict logical manner. You saw the world so differently from me. Everything was so new to you, everything was...a puzzle to be solved. Everything had a solution whether you could find one immediately or not. It was a nice distraction from my own darkening thoughts. When I thought so little of the world, you believed the opposite. And I did not want to tell you because it was so incredibly bizarre and you would not possibly understand."

"You, Felix, are far too good at hiding things. This whole time-I thought I was alone. I thought I was going crazy. I'm sure you can hear what I'm thinking even now-

"I've gained sufficient control over that. At the moment, I have no idea what you're thinking. Besides, I needed concentration for all that lovely research I had to do today."

For the first time, Leona was able to look away on her own. The spell was finally broken. Slowly, the unknown was becoming more and more defined. He was less mysterious than he had been before. Still...

"I can't read your thoughts and I don't know everything about you, just a few things."

"Perhaps it's better that way," he said taking the time then to lift himself up from his chair, "Knowing what's on my mind wouldn't exactly be therapeutic and my life isn't one that would give you warm and fuzzy feelings. I think we've talked enough for one night. There's quite a bit for you to rummage over as you usually do for hours on end."

"It's hard to imagine. You listening to my thoughts...the whole time. I must have said a million and one embarrassing things. I don't want to think about it, but I know I will and I know you'll be listening the whole time."

"I won't," he said. "Now that you know, it won't be nearly as amusing. You'll be more careful, more self-conscious. Besides, I've been waiting for you to say how rude of me it was to do that. Perhaps a bit more anger on your part for intruding on your privacy so arrogantly."

"I'm not angry," she said slowly, "I'm just not angry. I should be, but I'm not. There's a part of me that's glad that another person could find me so interesting. I'm glad that I'm the reason you made better choices."

"Hm," he said with the beginnings of a smile. "My parents will be here soon and they'll want to make their usual feast and force feed us at the table. In leiu of you not eating anything at all today, you should join us. Hopefully, Boss Lady would have made it back here as well."

"Sounds like a date," Leona said before she could stop herself.

"Then your idea of a date differs greatly from mine."

"Wait," Leona said to the turning elf. He stopped as he stood at the doorway with his back turned to her. She paused when she suddenly grew cold feet in saying what she wanted to. "Wait," she said a bit softer. Yet the words wouldn't come forth.

"It's getting too heavy," he said wearily, "Let's save it for another time."

Leona wasn't exactly clear on what he meant by "heavy", but he had already left her presence and she was left to her own thoughts-well, she supposed she was being left to her own thoughts. She looked up when she heard what sounded like the front door opening and an increase in voices downstairs. It sounded like everyone was in high spirits save for her. She wasn't altogether sad, but perhaps her mood was too "heavy". Still she didn't know what it meant, but it seemed to describe her mood perfectly.


	21. A Kink in the Plan

AN: This was a bear to write, but I make no apologies about the lengthiness. I do, however, apologize for the wait. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 21: A Kink in the Plan

After a while of listening to the voices downstairs, they eventually eased off again into a comfortable quietness. She wondered if her mother had finally made it back. But she was even more curious about meeting Felix's parents. He'd seen hers more or less-now it was her turn. She remembered the chance meeting she had had with Felix. Who would have thought that she'd be meeting his parents somewhere down along the road? She grinned to herself; it almost made her consider such things as fate. She didn't have to meet the elf that day and by all accounts their paths might never have crossed considering the lives that they led yet here they were. She sipped slowly on the cooling Chai Tea putting her mind into a more relaxed state. She never liked meeting new people, but this was somehow something she was looking forward to and the suspense was just beginning to get to her.

She finished her tea and then made her way downstairs. The living room was the first room she came to and she was surprised to hear Cathe's laughter-she seemed to be enjoying herself.

"Oh, you evil man, you're cutting me to death!"

A little concerned, Leona stepped further into the room and observed Cathe playing cards with Felix who was just then gathering the two cards in the central area of the table and placing them into a rather interesting pattern on his end of the table.

"That's what I do best," he said, "In fact, you might as well _hand over_ the rest of these books."

"Not so fast, mister, I still have a few tricks up my sleeves."

"Unless you have something higher-

He paused when she slapped down a deuce right after he'd thrown out an eight that had a similar shape on it. Then Cathe giggled.

"You had _that_ the whole time?" he asked clearly caught off guard, "Why wait?"

"So then I could see that look on your face as I take the rest of the books." Her grin was now a bit more sinister, something Leona didn't think she'd ever see on the pleasant girl's face.

Another two cards was thrown out, she took these as well and Leona noticed the girl's pattern was longer in length than Felix's.

"A joker too?" Felix started, "Geez, you've been holding out on me. And you acted as if-"

He stopped as she started to laugh once again. "Never said I _didn't_ have it only that I wondered who had it." Her smile was truly devilish.

Felix grumbled and then put out the last card in his hand only for it to be taken away by Cathe who apparently had a stronger card; an Ace.

"And you call me evil-you just lure people into a false sense of security and then rip the rug right from under them. I can't trust anything you say!" he said in raised tones.

"Oh you're just sooo predictable. You always put your strongest card out first."

"Of course! So then it won't get cut. You gotta' make sure you get all your books."

"Wonder why that hasn't happened for you yet," she asked mischievously.

Leona cleared her throat so that the two would finally notice her.

"Oh, hi, Leona," Cathe said in her normal cheery voice. "You should join in!"

"Demon child..." Felix muttered, but Leona heard.

"I have no idea what you're playing..." Leona began uncertainly.

"It's Spades and it's pretty easy to learn. You're pretty smart; I bet you'd get the hang of it really quickly."

"I don't know..." Leona said. Truthfully, from what she'd heard, it didn't seem like her cup of tea. It seemed a bit...violent and just from the look on Felix's face, he wasn't exactly in the best of moods.

"Can't you see the lass doesn't want to play?" Felix said before Cathe could continue her pleading.

Leona's mind automatically latched on to the word he used to reference her and frowned a little. She had to consciously stop herself from complaining about it. Cathe herself didn't seem concerned, but then she was focused on gaining an extra player.

"Oh, but it's so much more fun to play with three people. It's the perfect number _and_ we can use all the cards."

Leona smiled when a good reply came to her. "You and Felix seemed to be having the time of your lives-I would hate to ruin your momentum."

"Well, I am," Cathe said quickly, "But I could do for a good challenge every now and then."

"Why don't you start another game," Felix said in a calm voice, but Leona could hear his frustration just below the surface. "I promise you I'll win this one."

"Ha! You said that last time, old man, and I wiped the floor with you. I can't even remember the last time you got all your books."

Leona too winced at the word she used to reference Felix. Could those labels really apply to them? Was he this "old man" and she this "lass"? Yet she saw him as her equal. In reality there was probably a steep age gap that could never be reconciled. Was she naïve to even begin to think that there could ever be anything past friendship? The words she had truly wanted to speak had gotten stuck in her throat just hours ago after he had given her the Chai Tea. Had it been because she already knew how fruitless it would have been otherwise?

"Leona," Felix said, his strong voice cutting through the fog of confusing thoughts threatening to tumble from her very mouth. She wondered suddenly if he'd been aware of them. She was looking at him now with her full attention. "Didn't you want to meet my parents? They're in the kitchen making some ridiculously large dinner-one of their favorite pastimes. I would _hate_ for you to become Cathe's next victim."

_How does he know about that? How does he know I wanted to meet them...He must still be..._

She averted her gaze as her eyes widened at the thought. It was hard to tell what he knew or didn't. "I-I think I'll go help your parents out," she said turning.

"That's great! Hey, did you know Leona's a really good cook? Dinner's going to be ten times better now."

Felix laughed at this. "Good luck trying to get my parents to allow you to help. Once they start, I doubt anyone could interrupt them from it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Leona said with her head now bowed. The room was beginning to feel a bit stuffy, even though his eyes weren't on her any longer.

She walked quickly into the kitchen and the first thing she saw were two rather rotund elves-the woman dark-skinned, the man a light tan- happily chopping and stirring an assortment of food. The larger one was the man who Leona assumed was the father and the slightly smaller one was most likely the mother. They seemed to be in their own groove, laughing and carrying on. She had no idea what to say. She stood in the entryway for a good few minutes at a loss of words. She simply watched them work. From the looks of things, it did look like they were making lasagna. In the end, it was the woman who spoke first.

"Oh, honey, come on in, we won't bite ya," she said in welcoming tones.

Leona blushed a little. They'd found her out just when she was considering leaving. "Sorry, I just didn't want to intrude."

"Nonsense, you're not intruding at all, honeybun," the woman insisted.

With this, Leona did step in just as the woman suggested. She looked around at the kitchen and was immediately impressed with the layout. Even her father would have been. The counters were long and wide and in places that weren't in use, they were clean and shiny. There was space to walk around even with there being an island in the middle currently occupied with neatly placed ingredients they probably planned to put into the lasagna-it consisted of plenty of cheese. She walked over to this and began to parse through the variety. Above this table hung every type of serving-ware she could think of: spatulas of all kinds, tongs, brushes, ladles, slotted and unslotted spoons metal and plastic, wooden stirring spoons, rolling pins, potato smashers, meat tenderizers, and some that even she didn't recognize probably having to do with things that were strictly elven.

"So you're Leona," the man said after she stepped in.

She nodded but then then realized both of their back were to her. "Oh, yes." Felix at some point must have spoken to them about her. She wondered how he had introduced her.

"I hope Felix isn't giving you too much of a hard time," he continued.

"What do you mean?" asked a mystified Leona.

"Now, stop, honey," the woman said. She took a moment to glance back at Leona. For the first time, Leona had a partial view of her face. Her eyes weren't a crimson red like Felix's; they reminded her of cherries and she had a rather infectious smile. Her entire face seemed to be engaged in that activity; dimples on her cheeks and eyes that shined with joy. "He's just being overly concerned."

"But it's no secret he can be a bit trying at times. All my life, I've never known him to have any friends whatsoever and suddenly three appear out of nowhere!" the man said who seemed to get a kick out of it. "I'm waiting for the moment he confesses that you're all complete strangers and that it was another off-beat joke of his."

The woman took a heat pad near her hanging on the drawer handle and smacked the man's shoulder with it. "Don't listen to that fool," she said with a laugh.

"I can see him blackmailing these poor folk for shits and giggles-

"Rhy, language!"

"Sorry, honey." The man turned to look at her too. "Sorry if I've scarred your virgin ears-Oh!" he said as his eyes took her in.

Leona couldn't determine his eye color from where she stood, but it was dark. She couldn't say they were altogether black because there was something off about them. She became a bit self-conscious as the man looked at her longer than usual.

"You're a beautiful young lady," he said.

"Oh...th-thank you," Leona said caught off guard.

The man returned to his task of stirring something in a pot. "Maybe there's hope after all," the man said with a grin clearly in his tone.

"You say that about any girl that comes in here and vaguely knows our son."

"Is it a crime to want some grand kids?" he asked. She flushed when she realized what he was talking about.

"We'll likely be long gone by the time that one thinks about settling down," the woman said. "Don't mind us, honey, just wistful thinking. Besides, I would hate to think of the woman who would have to put up with him for any long periods of time."

Leona laughed a little if not nervously. "He isn't so bad, ma'am," Leona said.

"Please, call me Mrs. Saelon."

"Mrs. Saelon," Leona repeated. "Well, he isn't too bad. He...saved my life before. Twice actually." Leona was sure she would have crumbled into a million pieces if Felix hadn't been there heal her broken father.

"He did?" Mrs. Saelon said with only subtle surprise in her tone. Leona supposed she was trying to hide it. "I'm glad you're safe now. I'm glad we can _all_ be here for dinner today. It's a load off my shoulder knowing my son is alive and well and that he's made so many friends."

Soon the woman was bending down to take out an impressively large glass pan. Leona knew what would come next as the two adults began layering the ingredients on top. It was fun to watch this part as they placed layer after layer of cheese and seasoning along with the meat and sauce they'd concocted not too long ago. Just from looking, Leona knew it was going to be quite the lasagna. She wondered if there would be more courses to the meal, but she got her answer when they told her dinner was almost ready and led her back out to the living room where Felix and Cathe were still playing an intense game of Spades.

Leona opted to sit on the floor, insisting that she didn't mind, as the two parents took seats beside Felix on the couch. Soon they had all joined and the game took on a far less competitive air.

Her mother stepped in with a stack of papers in her hands right when the food was done cooking in the oven. Leona was glad to see her mom after so long and they embraced despite themselves. Her mother had been worried about her since they brought her back here unconscious. Even though Felix had reassured her that it was simply exhaustion, she still hadn't been quite at ease.

"Alright, everyone," her mother addressed those sitting around the table in the living room. "Felix and I have the perfect plan-well, as perfect as we can make it and I can't wait to explain the details."

There was a bit of a smile on her mother's face and it had been awhile since she'd done as much. Already, she could feel her worries slipping away the longer she sensed the other's confidence.

"But first!" Mrs. Saelon said happily standing up from the couch, "Let's eat, everyone!"

The dining room was distinctly separate from the living room and kitchen. Set in the middle was the steaming, hot ridiculously large pan of lasagna sitting on a hot pad, sizzling in anticipation. Leona hadn't realized how hungry she was until the smell hit her nose, disarming her completely and causing her stomach to cave in on itself. The tea Felix had given her was as much to tide her over for dinner as it was to calm her anxious nerves.

Mrs. Saelon made their plates without complaints and Leona was taken aback by the proportions. Judging from the look on everyone else's face, they were as well. Felix was clearly not impressed and wore an annoyed expression. It seemed as if she was being asked to devour a mountain of food. Perhaps one course would be enough...She was, in fact, starving but even she couldn't imagine finishing her plate.

"Alright, everyone, dig in!" Mrs. Saelon said excitedly.

Leona wondered how everyone would tackle their piece. Her mother tried to maintain some modicum of decorum as she attempted to use a butter knife and fork to cut down on it, but it was quite a bit of layers to cut through and it was becoming more a chore. Cathe had started at the bottom at a little piece that was sticking out, but Leona knew that eventually her piece would become a leaning tower if she continued that way. Felix obviously was no stranger to the meal and struck down first with the pointy tips of the fork and easily came up with a good sized piece on the utensil to place into his mouth. But he inspected the food a little peering under the layers and there was clearly a look of disgust on his face soon after. She wondered if there was some ingrediant they put in that they forgot he hated or if he simply did not like lasagna. His parents more or less ate the piece in much the same way as Felix except their forks were far more packed before they lifted it and put it to their mouths.

"This is delicious!" Cathe said with a smile, "It's so cheesy."

"This sauce is amazing," her mother complimented the chefs.

Leona managed to take a piece into her mouth and then immediately fell in love. The sauce was amazing along with the combination of cheese and the pasta that wasn't too soggy and well seasoned. It all melted quite well on her tongue. She couldn't remember ever tasting a better lasagna...

"Everything comes together so well," Leona said after she finished chewing.

Felix's parents were practically beaming. "Lovely friends you have," Mrs. Saelon said, "They know good food when they taste it. Felix?"

They were probably waiting for his input when he didn't add anything to their compliments. He didn't look particularly happy, but...perhaps his taste buds were different from theirs.

"Oh, Feeelix, what do you think, honey?" his mother asked very nearly singing his name when he didn't respond the first time.

"You know very well what I think," he said in a snappy tone.

Leona couldn't imagine ever speaking to either of her parents in that tone of voice. Besides, all they'd asked for was his opinion. Maybe that was one of his pet peeves as he even placed the fork on the plate as if he was done with the entire affair.

"Now, honey-" his mother began, but Felix cut over her.

"Don't 'honey' me. Where exactly are the vegetables? It's nowhere to be found."

"Here we go," Mr. Saelon said with disgust in his voice, "Dietitian Felix returns. Mr. I-Can't-Eat-Your-Food-Anymore-Because-I'm-On-A-Diet."

Felix stood up from the table when he said this. Leona averted her eyes-she hated to see argument amongst family. Her mother and Cathe were completely silent as they watched.

"You know what, I'm surprised you two are still alive and breathing," he hissed. "I bet I couldn't even find a stray piece of lettuce if I searched the kitchen from top to bottom. It's like everything I say falls on deaf ears. And for the record-again-I was never on any damn diet."

With a huff, he turned on his heels and left before his mother could get another word in.

"Just let him go," Mr. Saelon said as she tried calling for him, "He's in one of his moods and quite frankly we don't need that kind of mood ruining the atmosphere."

"Rhy, we can't just..." the mother began sadly.

Then Cathe raised her hand as if she was in a classroom. "Let me go check on him, Mrs. Saelon" she said cheerfully.

"Oh, child, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to-it's no sweat," she said in an equally cheery tone.

She stood up as well and left the table before the other could protest any further. Leona wondered what Cathe could possibly say or why she had volunteered to leave in the first place.

"Sorry about that," Mrs. Saelon apologized to everyone. "I hope we haven't ruined your appetites."

In fact, Leona felt it was nearly impossible for that to be the case for her as she realized she hadn't eaten in nearly two days. Her mother had once again began on her plate.

"Not at all," her mother responded. "I had the pleasure of spending the better part of the day with him and I can't say I'd want to do it again."

"Mom," Leona said in embarrassed tones.

"Not that he wasn't helpful-I didn't have to do all that reading on my own, but he has his own way of recording data and I have mine. I'm sure he thought it was organized, but I spent nearly two hours putting it into a format that I like better."

Leave it up to her mother to criticize someone else's note-taking skills even if that person was most likely well-versed in such activities. No one was safe. Hence the loving nickname Felix had given her. Mrs. Saelon laughed at her mother's comments. At least they were good-humored people, Leona thought with relief. It was more than what she could say about the storming-off Felix.

Cathe eventually returned, her good mood unblemished. Felix didn't rejoin them until the tail-end and he apologized for his rudeness, but he said nothing more for the rest of the meal. It was as her mother had told her one day. If you have nothing good to say, don't say it at all. Leona didn't finish her plate. The portion seemed never-ending. Felix' parents, however, seemed to possess bottomless pits for stomachs. Glancing about the table, her mother had managed to consume about the same amount as her, Cathe a bit more than that, and Felix made quite a sizable dent, but still wasn't able to finish.

When they were done, Leona offered to help them clean up, but Felix's parents insisted that it was unnecessary and that they were happy to do it themselves. So she followed her mother into the living room where she was sure her mother would finally relay her findings to them.

"Alright," her mother said with a deep breath when they were all assembled. She stood in front of all of them. "As much as I would like to stand up here and tell you everything that we found...I think I'll leave that to Felix who-though it pains me to say it-can explain it better and I think my eyes are starting to go cross staring at all these words." She had a nice sized stack of papers betwixt her fingers which she had shuffled through once or twice.

"Careful, that sounds suspiciously like a compliment," Felix said with a grin.

Her mother frowned briefly at the other, "Take it as you will, _Professor_ Felix."

She promptly walked over to the other handing him the stack which he accepted, but then set down on the living room table much to her mother's annoyance.

"You don't need that? That's at least twenty books worth of notes," her mother said stolidly.

"I'll frame it later," he said back coolly.

She crossed her arms, "This should be good-don't you dare ask me to look anything up for you either."

"The thing is there are only a few things we actually need to focus on," Felix said, his tone changing, Leona noted. "First of all, it's a myth that only elves can possess magic. Raine tells me you already know about the Aionis stone-it can give any person that ability. But there are more than one way to do exactly the same as the stone. Regrettably, it is knowledge that elves traditionally keep to themselves because elves, as you know are a stuck-up, backwards group of people and they like to pretend the differences between elves and humans are so incredibly vast." Leona could hear the cynicism clearly in his voice. It surprised her that he could speak so frankly about his own people.

"In reality," Felix continued, "there are hardly any. Humans and elves are so genetically compatible that they, in fact, can conceive perfectly healthy offspring. We see it even without picking up a book and researching that one who has human blood running through their veins can still wield magic with ease. Therefore it is wrong to assume that one cannot use magic because they're human rather it is something that is not widely known. Admittedly, elves do have a certain propensity for magic, but any human born on the right day can conceivably develop the ability to cast magic with an affinity to one or two elements, but not both at the same time. It has long been known that the world itself was created by mana and that it permeates the air just as surely as oxygen itself-even now despite its declining presence in the world. On certain days in which there is no pattern whatsoever, the air is thicker than usual with mana. It makes little difference to most people, but to those at the right time of development it affects them immensely, but not in any adverse way. And if you're dying to know how that exactly works, go read it yourself as I don't have the patience to try and explain nor do I particularly care-it is simply fact."

Raine visibly frowned at this, but Leona was secretly glad that she didn't have to sit through a biology class at this point.

"In the case of Lucas, he was born on or around this sort of day and looking over the records he would then have an affinity for either light or dark elemental magic."

Her mother cleared her throat at this to remind him of something. Felix very nearly rolled his eyes as he took a frustrated deep breath.

"No doubt you probably _weren't_ wondering how we came to that conclusion or even how such records exist or how it was conceived in the first place. Doesn't matter, only that you know how it pertains to Lucas. And, Cathe, if you're wondering if you were born on such a day or if it's possible for you to develop the same thing-the notes are right there, now made extremely accessible for people of all ages to understand courtesy of Raine," he finished curtly.

"Even so, the process is not something I would subject my worst enemy to. Being able to use magic and actually doing it are not things that transitions smoothly to the other. A catalyst is needed for one's powers to be activated. Lucas needed to be exposed to either light or dark elemental creatures. As you must have seen, Leona, the 'essence' of the creatures will simply flow out of it once killed and enter that of the host if he happens to still be in the area."

Raine cleared her throat again.

"I _suppose_ I'll explain a little more here," Felix said when he looked to Cathe and noticed her confused look. "Essence is something that is still debated to this day what exactly it is. However, it is not related to one's soul or spirit. It is something more physical and obviously visible. Some say it is a part of all of us and that we are all simply born with such a thing. Upon study, it is said to contain DNA and living tissue carried in a substance that makes it impervious to most outside influences. It is singularly attracted to the one which destroyed its larger counterpart. Some have been known to become sick or even die by its presence. Of course, one's essence is only visible during these strict conditions when a human with an affinity to a certain element kills a creature of the same one. It is essentially a foreign body in much the same way you'd categorize bacteria or virus' and there had never been an account of the essence of a creature entering a human that has not been described as excruciatingly painful. It combines with ever cell of your body with surprising effort and swiftness and the lingering pain stays with you for hours after before finally tapering off. Most have been known to die from the pain alone and those who survive the first time don't look forward to feeling such a thing again. However, one must be exposed several more times in which the pain is no less before the ability to use magic becomes reality. Assumingly, Lucas, had to go through the same process-obviously, he's no stranger to pain."

"I wouldn't put it past Arcangela to have purposefully placed Lucas into a situation in which he would encounter these sorts of creatures to quicken the process. Light and dark elemental creatures are rather rare to stumble upon in the wild. This brings me to my next point."

Leona remembered the first time Lucas had fallen down in pain. He had been so close to death and she hadn't even known it. She'd opted to keep it secret and Lucas had shrugged it off as if it was temporary when in reality he must have still been in pain a long time after without even so much as a complaint.

"Arcangela made sure that he was only exposed to dark creatures. She needed his dark magic to perform the move which is used to subdue both large crowds of people and individuals alike. To what end? I have no idea. No one can claim to the intentions of Arcangela, but whatever it is, it couldn't possibly be good. The effects of such magic can be reversed, however, and Raine and I both know how it can done. However, to make sure that this does not happen again at least by the hands of Lucas, his magic must be quelled. And just as painfully as the ability can be obtained, it can be taken away with the injection of light. He is particularly vulnerable to light elemental magic. Attacking him directly with it, should be sufficient. It is important, however, that we act quickly. After a few months, it is impossible to take away this ability of his. We do have ample time at this point as it's not been very long since this whole thing started.

"And from that information alone, Raine and I came up with a tentative plan. Raine and I will be in charge of reversing the effects of Lucas' technique while you, Leona, will be responsible for striking him down with your very potent light elemental magic. Not to kill him, mind you, but to take away his ability to continue his 'mission'."

"Me?" Leona said surprised. It seemed like a lot of responsibility for her and she was being tasked with harming someone who she knew and putting him most likely in immense pain. Her mother seemed better suited for it. She was sure her mother wouldn't be as bothered by the prospects. Even Felix would have dealt with it better.

"I know, it may seem like a lot, but you're the perfect candidate. I've never been able to use light magic and yours is even more potent than your mother's so I've determined from watching you both. Not only that, but the ritual which would have to be repeated countless times requires a lot of stamina which your mother possesses more of than you."

"And this is the only way?" Leona asked.

Her mother was looking at her now. "Felix and I scoured dozens of books and that is the only known way."

"But we still don't know where Lucas or Arcangela is," Cathe said finally speaking up.

"Sheena will know by now," Raine said confidently.

"How do you know that?" Leona asked. They hadn't spoken to Sheena in quite some time.

"Because, there isn't a person in the world that could hide from Sheena's information network."

Leona was made speechless by this. She couldn't even imagine her mother trusting something so blindly.

"I wished I shared your mother's certainty," Felix said. "Even if they can't be found, we can still begin reversing the effects and that would be a step in the right direction."

"The plan is to get Arcangela _and_ Lucas," Raine continued. "You won't be doing this alone, Leona, everyone who's able to help will. I doubt with our combined forces they could take you all."

"Arcangela has been careful to strike when our forces are separated," Felix said agreeing with her mother. "She knows that even her power cannot hope to overcome so many at one time."

"Oh my gosh, guys," Cathe said at once drawing everyone's attention, "This plan is _definitely_ going to work! I can just sense it! We'll all be fighting together for once. We'll take back Lucas and knock some sense into him. Arcangela won't know what hit her once we're through with her. All the while we'll be fixing the damage done around the world."

"Once again, Cathe, your optimism is puzzling," Felix said with a frown. "There are plenty of things that could go wrong-"

"But it's best not to dwell on the negative," Raine said cutting over him with a smile.

"Raine, you too?" Felix said a bit surprised.

"I think we've finally found the solution to our problems," Leona said, her lips curling upwards.

Felix sighed exasperatedly, "I give up. I suppose in the end, in order to achieve, you have to believe you'll be able to in the first place."

"That's the spirit, Felix!" Cathe said with a laugh.

"On that note," Raine said standing up, "I'll think I'll head to bed. We'll have an early start tomorrow."

They were reminded of just how late it already was and Cathe followed in suit. Cathe shared a room with Raine, but for some reason, Leona had a room all to herself. She hadn't gotten a chance to ask why before they were already climbing up the stairs.

"You look like you have something to say," Felix said. He'd taken a seat on the couch and he leaned forward with his chin resting on his raised hands.

"I just thought it was odd that I'm the only one with a room all to myself. And where exactly are you going to sleep?"

"You're an only child; I thought you'd appreciate it. That used to be my room, but quite frankly I really didn't want to sleep in it-too many memories. A couch would do just fine for me."

"Your room?" Leona asked surprised.

"Don't worry, the sheets and comforters have long since been washed."

"No, it's not that," Leona said shaking her head. "It just surprised me is all. It looks rather bare in there. I guess you did move out at some point, I suppose that's the reason."

"I never wanted for things. My room has always lacked a certain appearance that matches up to the rest of this house."

"You know, Felix," Leona said thoughtfully, "You're being strangely forthcoming about answering my questions. I was expecting you to get annoyed and ignore me altogether."

"I suppose I haven't been on my best behavior around you; I apologize. I want to be more open with you since I feel as if I've intruded upon your private life quite a bit. And since I know you so well, I know that I could put my trust in you. I knew you'd initially be upset with being selected to take Lucas. Even now you're worried if you'll be able to pull it off. Take it from me whatever it's worth, I believe your resolve will come once you see him again. Your unshakable logic will win out as it always does in every decision that you make."

"Thank you, Felix, for your vote of confidence," she said earnestly. "It means so much more coming from you. I know you don't compliment others very often."

"Not many people impress me."

"You've still been reading my mind," Leona said matter-of-factly.

"Guilty as charged. I know the moment in which I said too much and, of course, you latched onto it quickly."

"You knew what I was going to say last time...even though I didn't say it."

"Saying it aloud would only make things...complicated. You haven't the slightest clue what it means to love another person hence your hesitation nor entirely what it means to call someone your friend. You're a bird who has yet to spread her wings."

"I'm simply too immature-is that what you mean to say?"

"No," he said shaking his head against his hands. "Inexperienced. And I think it's time you got some rest."

Leona thought she wanted to say something more, something to protest him, but she realized moments later that he was probably right. After all, she was only now coming to terms with all the friends she had no idea she had in the first place.

"Good night, Felix, I hope the couch won't give you too many muscle aches in the morning," she said with a grin.

"I'll be fine," he said stifling a yawn.

With that, Leona went to turn off the flickering lamps until it was finally pitch black in the room. Though this place was new to her, she could at least find her way upstairs on her own. She stopped on the first step when a thought came to her mind. Of course, if he was still reading her mind then perhaps he wouldn't be so quick falling to sleep, but this was not the case as far as Leona knew. She crept up one more step and listened to the other make himself comfortable on the couch that was not quite long enough for him to stretch fully. He sighed deeply and then there was only silence. She had to listen even closer. When she held her own breath and then strained her ears a bit more she thought she might have heard him.

After she made her way back downstairs quietly, she peered over the couch and waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She could, at the very least, make out his form. He was practically dead to the world. Quite a feat to achieve in such a short period of time. She believed that even if she yelled out his name obnoxiously loud, he'd be none the wiser, but she did not want to test that theory. Instead, she watched his relaxed form for a little longer-one arm across his midsection, the other finding its home behind his head which was turned catercorner to the right propped up by his raised shoulder on account of the arm placed behind him, legs slightly bent and turned to the side with feet tucked snuggly under the armrest. Somehow he had managed to look comfortable even on a couch. She wondered what it might feel like to sleep beside such a person in the same way that her parents did. Her imagination, however, simply was not vivid enough to even picture. He didn't move a muscle even after several minutes besides the subtle movements of his chest. Even she who was restless began to become lulled by the scene. He was likely to remain that way until morning.

She had to will herself to climb up the stairs to the room she was borrowing after reminding herself that it was considered odd and stalkerish to watch someone sleep for long periods of time. Though for some reason she doubted Felix would be at all put off if she mentioned that she did such a thing. After all, despite having control over the ability, he was constantly listening to her thoughts as if it was his favorite pastime.

* * *

She found herself running frantically through a thick forest, branches scratching at her skin, the ground playing havoc with her footing. Tears stung her eyes annoying her most of all as if her tear-ducts were struggling to produce them, dry and unused. Her eyes were more reddened by all the grit she was kicking up in the air than anything else, but she couldn't stop running. A lasting anger gripped and tore at her rational mind, she was practically seething. She knew that eventually her energy would fail her, but to her surprise she welcomed her imminent demise. She wanted to fall unconscious; she wanted her mind to stop functioning altogether-it was simply too much to decipher.

And then she tripped on a particularly thick root and fell face first into the soft soil, dirtying herself exquisitely. The vehemence began to overpower her, she was no longer running-she was clawing at the ground like a madwoman, throwing an obscene temper-tantrum yet she could not stop herself even knowing that she should try to rein in her emotions. She'd been taught better than that. She was supposed to calm herself, rationalize. The very sound of those words angered her even more and she could not stop until she tired herself out, her limbs becoming increasingly heavy with exhaustion.

Time passed by without her knowledge and eventually her breathing began to calm. The storm had passed, her nerves were beginning to settle. Slowly her eyes began to droop. She would fall asleep right there not even planning to return home where there were those who might have been worried for her well-being.

"Are you done?" came a woman's voice.

The sound of her voice cut through the fogginess that was just beginning to envelope her. She did not trust her voice so she did not respond. She heard the footsteps now. Dull eyes peered out through her bangs at the woman's apparent bare feet, her toenails a glossy blue.

Then Leona found herself standing looking down at the boy she knew immediately to be Felix-the transition of points of views was a bit jarring. For a moment she had seen the world directly from the eyes of Felix and now she was once again looking from the outside as if she was intruding. He didn't appear any older from when she'd seen him storm out of the dojo perhaps this was occurring on the same day. The forest itself looked familiar as she looked around. Could it be the very same one she'd spied outside her window earlier that day?

The woman, however, she was quite a sight to see. In fact she looked as if she didn't belong. Her skin was gray like that of a shark. Her short-cropped hair an elegant midnight shade of blue. Her eyes a very warm blue, matching the headband she had on. She was scantily clad with a bit of cloth to attempt to cover up her ample breasts and upper body. Dark blue lines that reminded Leona of tiger stripes decorated her glossy gray skin and she wore a long, flowing skirt-a piece of cloth covering her behind and another to hide the front-her sides, however were completely exposed. Somehow despite her risque clothing, Leona felt an uncommon classiness about her. She couldn't possibly be human.

She knelt down in front of child Felix and gazed at him for a moment, expressionless. Then her lips curled into a warm smile as she reached out and gently pushed underneath his chin to further get his attention.

"Aren't you an adorable little human?"

His eyes seemed dull, Leona noted even at the sight of such a peculiar looking woman.

"And those cute red button eyes-they stare into the depths of my soul. Felix, isn't it?"

"...Yes," he finally responded in his small voice, unsure of himself and very clearly not all there.

The woman seemed to blush slightly. "That angelic voice of yours sends shivers down my spine."

Leona vaguely wondered if she was about to see something she wasn't supposed to.

"I will share with you a portion of my energy. Today must have been especially difficult for you. All that raw emotion pouring out of you-it was quite...beautiful."

The woman found one of his small tightly balled hands and covered it with a dainty hand of her own. Just like that, Felix was able to sit up on his own without much trouble at all. He was looking at the woman curiously now as she sat beside him.

"Who are you?" he asked at once, his voice surprisingly even.

"I'm Celsius, the Disciple of Everlasting Ice."

"That's a mouthful," Felix said with a frown, "And you seem painfully out of your element."

"Just Celsius is fine," she said with a laugh. Leona noted that her smiling face from before had become masked once again. "I do become bored from time to time and wander the world."

"And you just so happened to wander into this forest," Felix said with a bit of disbelief.

"My, aren't we a paranoid little boy? Do you think the likes of a powerful summon spirit somehow has it out for one insignificant human?"

"Insignificant?" Felix said with a start. "You must have me confused with someone else."

Celsius laughed once again. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you. As I said before, I wander and for this past week I've been in Heimdall doing my age-old pastime."

An eyebrow rose on Felix's small, round face. "Which is?"

"People watching," she said nonchalantly. "You humans are quite interesting to observe from afar."

"Hm..." Felix said thoughtfully looking away from her. "There aren't many people in the forest."

"Ah, I was just leaving and stumbled upon you."

Another raised eyebrow from Felix.

"Alright," she said with a sigh, "Perhaps I was following you."

Felix gave her an I-knew-it look.

"And perhaps I've been watching you for awhile. I know humans don't take kindly to that-

"Oh no, you don't have to explain yourself," he said with closed eyes, "I suppose it's difficult for people _not_ to watch me all the time."

She giggled. "Indeed. I saw you go running away from that building as if you were chasing down your archenemy. It was very odd. I could tell you were quite angry and there are few times I've seen a human exude such strong emotion. I'm curious, child, what caused you to be that way?"

"Fools," he stated plainly. His eyes were now trained on the ground.

Celsius waited patiently for the other to continue.

"I-You see, I wanted to learn how to fight so I entered a class that would teach me just that. I suppose I wasn't catching on as quickly as the others, but I was certain that eventually if I trained hard enough, I would begin to understand as well."

"And did that happen?"

"I wasn't given the chance, but...I suppose the instructor was lenient with me. Technically, I did fail more than once. Today, he declared me 'unfit' to continue. What was worse, he did so in front of the other students. Now everyone knows that I was exclusively kicked out of class. It was more than embarrassing-it was demeaning, despicable. When I start something," he said now turning his head to look at her directly, "I want to finish it and not just barely but with overwhelming success. That instructor placed an uncrossable wall before me. It wouldn't matter the amount of effort I wanted to put into it, now it was simply impossible. I could not _stand_ that."

Celsius smiled gently. "You are aware that a human cannot be expected to excel at everything they try. Just like spirits, there are things that you will excel at and things that you do not-

"No," Felix said interrupting her, "Given enough time and effort, it is possible overcome those boundaries."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I do," he said confidently.

"Well then," she said climbing to her feet smoothly, "Prove me wrong. I've studied humans for a long time and I know that fact to be true. There will always be something you fail at."

"Unfortunately," Felix said still sitting on the ground but with his head turned from her once again, "I can't prove you wrong. Once your instructor dismisses you, you cannot return. It is a final decision."

"I'll be your instructor," she said with crossed arms.

"You?" Felix asked with obvious disbelief.

"I'll have you know-I am well-versed in a number of fighting techniques. And the ones that the elves are so fond of are one of the more simplistic ones."

"Really?" Felix said, now excitement played at his features.

"Yes, really. Now are you willing to be my student?"

Now Felix climbed to his feet as well but not with nearly as much finesse as the spirit. "Of course! I can't believe it-what are the chances of this actually happening?"

"Depressingly low-

"When can we start?"

She was smiling again probably at his apparent giddiness. "Not so fast, little one. There are a few things you must agree to first."

Felix was all ears and not the least bit put off.

"First of all, everything I say, you must do. Secondly, I reserve the right to terminate our arrangement if I feel you're not working hard enough. Thirdly, and this is very important, you can't tell anyone about me. You can say that you're training, but you can't mention that I'm involved, alright? Can you follow those three rules?"

"Easily," he said without any hesitation, "You have my word."

"Now," she said squatting down to his level once again-he was a great deal shorter than her. She brought her face close to his until she nuzzled him.

"What are you-

"Shhh!" she said sharply. "I've always wanted to do this..." Then she began to pull at his cheeks. And just like that she pulled away from him. "Alright, I'm done. I want you to go home and get a good night's rest. And then, I want you to come back here to this very spot. Don't eat anything your parents serve you."

"But-

"You agreed," Celsius cut across.

"No, it's not that. I just...don't know how I would explain that to my parents. Especially not dinner-they take that very seriously."

Celsius placed a hand atop the crown of his head. "You're a smart little boy; I'm sure you'll figure something out. Right?"

A look of determination came to the youth's face. "I definitely will. I gave you my word. I'll do everything you tell me to do."

"Good. Sleep well, little one."

She vanished into thin air startling the child, but he soon got over it and began his trek back through the forest. That was when her vision began to darken. The scene slowly became blotted out by the encroaching darkness until there was nothing more to see. She expected to see the familiar form of Felix, annoyed and asking her why she was intruding, but nothing happened. Only silence greeted her.

"Felix?" Leona said aloud.

No response came and then suddenly a crushing pain caused her to fall to her knees and cry out. Her whole body ached she just wanted to lie completely still and wait for the pain to subside.

"Felix? What's wrong?" Leona asked. She didn't for a moment believe that he could somehow be harming her intentionally.

Finally she heard his voice, but it was weakened and strained. He only managed to utter her name. Her question was left unanswered. She knew something was wrong, however. She needed to wake up right this instant.

Moments later, she found herself looking up at the darkened ceiling. She stumbled out of bed, tripping over her boots and catching herself before she fell to the ground completely. She made her way to the bedroom's doorway and carefully made her way to the steps that took her downstairs. Felix would be in the living room. That was where she'd seen him lie down after supper and there were no more extra rooms upstairs.

She had to wait for her eyes to adjust as she stumbled past the table that sat next to the long couch she was sure she'd find Felix.

"Felix?" Leona said aloud, but once again he was non-responsive.

She was beside the couch now, bent down and shaking him at first softly and then with more and more fervor. She stopped after a moment and then placed a tentative hand on his forehead. Just as she thought, he was burning up. He groaned a little and it seemed to take a lot of effort simply to open his eyes.

"Leona...please...it's a trap..."

She struggled to understand him with furrowed eyebrows. A sharp wind passed by her and then something shining out the corner of her eye. She looked behind herself and found that she was face to face with none other than Arcangela. The elven woman levitated at first and then she set foot on the ground.

"I would expect no less from the great Felix. Only he could have a hope resisting my power."

"Arcangela, what have you done to him-

"Now, now, Leona. I did not come for you. Well, perhaps that is a bit of a lie. You and your friends have gone on long enough. I must stop you here and now."

Leona knew she couldn't face Arcangela by herself and she would be receiving no help from Felix. She could always cry out for help... However, when she tried to shout, no words left her mouth. Arcangela had one arm outstretched and she had a small grin.

"You are in over your head. You should have stopped while you were ahead. Now just stand right there like a good little girl. The adults need to talk."

She realized she couldn't so much as move as Arcangela walked right passed her and knelt down beside the couch.

"See this pain that you're feeling, Felix-it the same exact one that I felt when you rejected me. You lament the loss of your family and yet I'm standing right here. Can you not see? We are both long lived-we have time to start all over again and it can be as it was."

Leona couldn't believe what she was hearing. Of course Felix wouldn't even begin considering her words. If her dreams were true, then there was no way. Leona remembered witnessing the other's anger. His one quest to destroy her seemed all-consuming. Then why was this woman even bothering with pleasantries? Couldn't she see that such things were fruitless? Whatever relationship they once had was long since dissipated.

"Now speak," she commanded of the other.

She must have given the other the ability to speak once again because he'd been silent up until that point.

"You are...delusional," he gasped. "If I could, I would sooner kill you where you stood. But of course...you knew to take precautions before spouting such nonsense to me."

Leona heard the other motion to stand up again. She wished desperately that she could look behind her. Better yet, _do_ something. They were practically sitting ducks.

"Alright then," she said, her voice betraying nothing of her disappointment. "I will release you-and you will have a choice to make. You will have your full power at your disposal. You said you would kill me if you had the chance...Here is your chance."

"What are you playing at, Arcangela?" Felix growled.

"I only want to make a point...The ball is in your court. I want you to know that I would rather die than to not have you at my side. How long have I waited? How long until your anger has subsided? That answer will finally be answered today."

"What do you mean-

"Now make your choice."

Leona could see Arcangela now as she stepped back slowly into her view. She heard the cushions of the couch move as she was sure Felix was sitting up. She could feel his presence behind her now, standing. She heard the subtle billow of fire, she imagined it resided on his outstretched hand.

"You are far more naive than I gave you credit for," Felix said. "This must be some sort of trick."

"No trick. Obviously, I'm standing here. Not a clone, not an illusion and you _know_ that."

"All this time I spent pursuing you; all that energy you spent staying a step ahead and now you want me to believe that you'd waltz in here and it make it so easy."

"Damn it, Felix! I realize I have made things hard for you, but that was because I thought you needed time. I need to know this instant, Felix, will you kill me?"

Leona waited for the flames to envelope the woman, but it never did. If she could, she would have turned her head to look at Felix to see why he was stalling.

"What have you done to me," he growled.

"Nothing," Arcangela said calmly.

"You've done something and I can't figure out what it is," Felix said back with obvious annoyance.

She stepped forth now out of Leona's sight. "You can feel your own energy, can't you? All intact and with full access. Why don't you tell me, Felix? Why are you stalling? Here I am-the woman that you despise so deeply and yet you can't even bring yourself to finishing me off."

There was only silence for long agonizing minutes and Leona was becoming increasingly frustrated with her inability to move, to yell, to do anything at all. She couldn't even struggle against anything. Arcangela's magic was strong and impassable.

"I..." Felix began, but he was strangely tongue-tied.

She heard the sounds of clothes being ruffled a little and then there was nothing once again.

"You've forgiven me, haven't you? I wanted you to see that," she said, but her voice was a little muffled.

Leona couldn't figure out exactly what was happening, but she did not like it.

"Impossible..." he began again.

"I know your heart better than even you. Where is that anger, that hatred? Where has it gone? Truth is, Felix, you had plenty of chances to stop me and you did not. I've only ever been good at deceiving people but when it comes to raw strength of magic, you have always trumped me, but your magic is ruled by your emotions. Join me, Felix."

"I cannot," he finally spoke clearly.

"Why?"

"I simply cannot. You've hurt too many people and you would continue to do so."

"All to save the world that I care so much about."

There was more silence and Leona became increasingly antsy. Was that tension she felt?

"You mourn the loss of your family," Arcangela spoke once again, "But I'm still here. We can always start anew. There's always time and we have a lot of it."

"I want you to leave," Felix said forcefully. There was more ruffling of clothes and it was then she realized that they must have been embracing.

"Felix-

"You've chosen your path and I've chosen mine. I could never kill a person in cold blood, you know that and I doubt any healer could. When we meet in battle, I will show you the depths of my anger. Leave and take your mind games elsewhere."

"Fine..." her voice becoming less innocent. "When we meet again, I will not hold back. I'll fight for what I believe in and you...do the same." Leona could see her again as she stepped back from Felix and she turned her back to them both. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this..." she continued, her voice a little shaky. Could she have been crying? "But I'm sorry...I cannot risk it."

Then suddenly she heard Felix gasping for breath and he fell to his knees in the effort. _Felix! What in the world is happening? I need to get Mom! _ her mind shouted. She wondered if Felix could hear or if he was too distracted to do so. Arcangela was looking at her now, her eyes rimmed with red. _So she had been crying._

"Please, help him..." Arcangela said.

Just like that she vanished before her eyes and Leona was able to move again. She didn't have time to think about Arcangela's actions. Instead, she ran over to the gasping Felix who was by now on the floor grasping at his chest unable to actually form words. She wished at that moment that she could read his mind, but perhaps it didn't matter at this point; she knew what she had to do. She tore her eyes away from the pitiful sight of the now writhing elf and ran off to get her mother. Even she could tell that he was having a heart attack, a very massive one and it seemed far more dramatic than she imagined it would be. Perhaps there was something else as well.

She knew she had little time as she shook her mother violently. Her mother might have been a bit disoriented, but she seemed to understand enough as she allowed Leona to guide her down the stairs. Cathe remained surprisingly undisturbed. As soon as her mother saw him, her sleepiness seemed to disappear instantly. Her hand began to glow and the healing began. Leona could tell when she watched Felix take longer and longer breaths. She supposed everything would be alright, but his eye began to flutter and he lost consciousness altogether.

"Martel..." her mother said quickly under her breath.

Leona sat down beside her mother now looking down on the now silent form of Felix. "Is he alright, now?"

"No," Raine said shaking her head, "I just don't know...It's just like with Regal. I don't know." Then she was looking at her. "What happened down here?"

"Arcangela," Leona uttered barely over a whisper. "She did this to him."

"I see...The immediate danger is over but his unconsciousness suggests that there is something else at work, something that I cannot see or fix."

"What does this mean?" Leona asked a little fearful.

Who else would heal him if not her mother? He certainly couldn't do it on his own in this state. Had the roles been switched, Leona somehow knew that Felix would know and be able to counteract whatever ailments Arcangela had dished out. Arcangela must have known this as well.

"It means we have our work cut out for us without his help. We still don't know exactly what's wrong with him. He could wake up in the next hour and all would be well. In this instance, even though we don't have much time, I believe we should wait a few days. Then, we move on."

"Move on? We're just going to leave him to die?" Leona asked incredulously. Could her mother be that cold?

"I need you to be strong," her mother said looking away. "There are many lives at stake and we have the means of saving them. If we stay here waiting for something that might not happen, Arcangela will still be out there conducting her plans. Something tells me that Felix would not like to be the reason we dropped everything. He's worked hard for this, so have all of us. We'll see this to the end for everyone's sake."

"Can you do it...by yourself?" Leona asked in a smaller voice.

She realized that her mother would have it harder than any of them. Now with Felix incapacitated, she would have to perform the ritual all by herself multiple times across the world, retracing Lucas' footsteps. She could hardly imagine it being done with just two people.

"I'll manage. I have no intentions of dying either. You just need to focus on quelling Lucas-you're the only one who can do it now."

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Jinseigami'Fell: Oh, you so easily lose me in your reviews, but I can at least gather that you're liking the plot thus far. And, yes, Felix hasn't had it easy partially because of himself and partially because of luck itself. Thank you again for drawing Leona. I wonder if it's possible to put links on Fanfiction profiles?

Romina78: Speculations are fine. I just hope I can still surprise somewhat in the end. Although I do think you're on the right train of thought.


	22. Final Battle's Eve

AN: So I finally wrote this just so I could have an update. It's a bit of a filler. There's about two chapters left. Hopefuly this shows up, but ziggurat8992[Place dot here]tumblr[Place dot here]com will take you to my tumblr page where you'll find the pics to all the OC's in the story. Good luck!

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Chapter 22: Final Battle's Eve

Leona stared up into the clear sky desperately trying to curb her frantic nerves. Tomorrow would be the day in which she would attack someone dear to her. She thought back to the day she'd first met him, the easy conversation they had, and the way he constantly teased her because of her social status. He was really the first person her age who she hadn't minded hanging around. He was stubborn, clever, thoughtful, a natural born leader. It was easy for her to put her trust in him...at least initially. She'd only glimpsed his true self before Arcangela got her claws into him, tearing him apart from the inside out.

How much pain had he been in? As he smiled and joked around with everyone else, how much had he been crying on the inside? He hid his pain quite expertly while nightmares gripped him and stole his precious sleep. She only wished that she'd been more proactive. Perhaps they wouldn't be here now. The adults would have known something was up, they could have watched him more closely, figured something out. But as her mother would say, there was no use crying over spilled milk and tomorrow would be her chance to correct the mistakes of the past.

She heard small footsteps behind her and knew instinctively that it was Cathe as she carefully sat down beside her. Leona glanced towards her. Seemed like she wasn't the only one in a pensive mood today. She seemed a bit sweated as well like she'd just come from doing something extraneous.

"You look really comfortable," Cathe commented, "Wish I could manage to look that way."

Leona shook her head. "That's just because I'm no good at expressing myself. Don't be fooled. I'm worried sick."

"Yeah? But you do it so elegantly," Cathe said with a grin which drew a raised eyebrow from Leona.

Cathe attempted to imitate the other but far too dramatically as she placed the back of her hand on her forehead with eyelids half-closed. "I'm _faaar_ too confident to even _begin_ to think about tomorrow. Think I'll just lie here while the rest of the world worries over nothing." She tried to gracefully lie back on the ground, but wound up falling backwards since her legs had been crossed and unprepared.

Her antics drew only a small grin from her and laughter from the other as she joined her lying on the grass.

"So what's everyone else doing?" Leona asked after a moment.

"Well, Cecil was training like crazy and as usual dragged me into it as well. If Dad was there, she probably wouldn't have been that brutal...But he wasn't there to moderate so Zeph had to knock her down a few pegs. Much as I love Cecil...sometimes she can be a bit much."

"Even to you?" Leona asked. She suspected that Cecil had a soft spot for Cathe and only for her.

"Especially to me, especially her weakling sister."

"She doesn't think that," Leona said.

"But she said it clear as day. She doesn't hold back. I can't us magic like you, I can't use a sword like half the people in my family, I chose archery and it's not exactly known for it's strength."

"We _need_ an archer like you. We have enough sword-wielders. A precision fighter like you is just as important as anyone else. You can get people out of jams, dole out ailments to the other monsters to make them more vulnerable to everyone else. Something tells me we'll need support like that."

"Thank you, Leona...And since you said it, it has to at least make sense, right?"

"You're welcome," Leona said with a quick nod. "I remember when we were fighting your father. He was much more powerful than any of us. Had you not been there, things could have turned out much differently."

"But you stalled him," Cathe reminded her.

"And it would have been for naught had no one stepped up and taken advantage of the situation."

"Then it was both of us working together!" Cathe said with a smile.

"Yes," Leona agreed, a slight smile gracing her lips. "So you and Cecil were training," Leona said drawing the other back to the other topic.

"Along with Zeph. Eros was...doing what he does best. His answer to anything mildly stressful."

"What do you mean?" Leona asked.

"You can't still be confused," Cathe said a little exasperatedly, "Filling his time with the opposite sex. Sometimes I wonder how he had time to even train to use that sword in the first place."

"Oh..." Leona said thinking of that time at the birthday party.

"Ludovic was attached to Mom's hip and Mom was with Dad all day."

"Hmm...I don't get it. How did he and your mom subdue him like that all by themselves?" Leona asked intrigued.

"Mom isn't much of a fighter. They said that back when she had her exsphere, she had these wings and all these angelic powers, but not anymore. She probably just went because she honestly thought she could talk some sense into Lloyd...or die trying. The reason I wasn't worried was because Ludovic was there and I've never seen anyone fight as well as he can. I saw Dad and Ludovic training, more like spied them and it looked like Dad was having trouble keeping up with him. I couldn't believe my eyes! No one's more powerful than my dad. So I told Cecil and Lucas who didn't believe me. You see, Dad trained them all separately so no one ever knows how well the other is doing. 'Course Cecil fights everyone so it's not that hard to figure out, but Ludovic keeps to himself all the time. He's shy and he like to draw things and write things aaaand he really, really, really likes Mom and he doesn't care if other people see."

Leona knew the other was about to go on a tangent, but she listened anyway. It wasn't often she got to hear about Ludovic.

"People used to pick at him all the time at school, called him a Momma's Boy. He is, but it's kinda rude to say, you know? Lucas only had to see that happen once and he pummeled all the bullies who so much as looked at him wrong. Ludovic was so upset when he did that, that he actually took a page out of Cecil's book and challenged him to a fight. Lucas didn't take it seriously at first, claiming Ludovic was just too worked up and he'd get over it. Ludovic was persistant though and kept hounding him until Lucas _finally_ accepted it just so he could get it over with. Cecil had been there, along with me and Linus. It was a big thing-Ludovic never does things like that.

"Lucas wanted to go easy on him, but immediately after the fight began Ludovic had him on the defensive. The fight was short lived even when Lucas got serious. Lucas was taller and physically stronger than Ludovic, but Ludovic's skills with the sword trumped him _and_ he was way more agile. Ludovic took him down in no time flat and we were all stunned! When Ludovic had those swords in his hand, he turned into something unrecognizable. After that...well, Lucas kept challenging him to fights, but Ludovic wouldn't fight him unless it was for a good reason so Lucas started making all these crazy bets-

"Wait a minute," Leona said as something clicked in her head, "_That's_ why Lucas lost a bet against Ludovic...from fighting. I would never have guessed."

"Yep," Cathe said with a chiefly nod. "And Cecil doesn't even bother with all that. She just wants to beat Lucas."

"And has she?" Leona asked.

"Not yet..." Cathe said, "But I'd say she's pretty even with him, she just keeps losing her cool everytime she fights him so Lucas always has an advantage."

"If we face Lucas tomorrow...

"Don't worry, Lucas is for you. Cecil promised me she wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Either way, I want to get it over with quickly so we won't have too much chance for failure."

"Of course we won't fail-the adults will be there too: Sheena, Zelos..."

"And that's it. The rest are incapacitated."

"Yeah...kinda sucks. You won't believe this, but I saw Zelos training with Ms. Sheena."

"Zelos?" Leona asked a little concerned. She remembered the fight she had with Uncle Genis and Aunt Presea, it had not been a walk in the park for Zelos. He was in shambles only minutes into the fight. He had been so exhausted that he had passed out from the effort. She silently wished that he would just stay behind-he would be someone for her to worry about as she took on Lucas.

"Yep, and they seemed to be having fun."

"Well...it's better than arguing."

"Not always. Even my parents argue-it's a healthy part of a relationship. So, Zeph's parents argue a lot and they still like each so that means they must have a really healthy relationship."

"Cathe...you stopped making sense again," Leona said shaking her head.

"Really?" Cathe said, "Well, I do that sometimes."

"I've never seen my parents argue," Leona said, "And they have a healthy relationship."

"Do they?" Cathe asked.

Leona glanced at the other. "Of course." She didn't want to go into detail about her nightly visits downstairs to her parents' activities. Not that they'd stay up late every night, but at least once a week she'd find them.

But who was she to say what was healthy and what was not? Maybe they did argue just not in front of her. It would be just like them to hide such things from her. Cathe probably knew more about her family than she did hers, but that was the way of things. It was likely to remain that way. Cathe and her siblings had a closeness about their family that Leona didn't always feel she had with hers. She was always just above the surface with them. There were always things that they kept from her and she suspected that they did the same thing with each other. Even her father who she was closer to than her mother, had his own secrets.

"My Dad told me that rest is just as important as training," Leona said, "So that's why I'm going to take it easy today. Besides, I already know what I have to do."

"With you, I know we have nothing to worry about," Cathe said.

They didn't know exactly where everything would occur tomorrow, but Sheena had reassured them that her forces were tracking him steadily today. With the swiftness of the Rheairds, wherever he was they would be there to meet him. Arcangela was a different story, but it was believed that wherever Lucas was, Arcangela wouldn't be far behind. Once Lucas was in danger, they were expecting Arcangela to show herself and this time, they would be ready.

After a while, Cathe had left her to herself and Leona thought it would be a good idea to get an update on how everyone else was doing. They were currently in Mizuho, a village that ran differently from the world and at a slower pace. It was the perfect place to put one's mind at ease.

The clinking of metal against metal however was jarring enough to snatch her out of her reverie. Away from where people were walking, behind a rather large tree, Leona could make out two people fighting each other in earnest. As she moved closer, she knew it was Cecil and Zeph. Cathe had mentioned they'd be training.

They appeared evenly matched. Despite Cecil's aggressiveness, Zeph seemed to be holding his own. He parried her fervent attacks with equal determination and retaliated with his own swooping, elegant ones. Leona found herself rooting for Zeph. She always imagined that Cecil could wipe the floor of any of her opponents and clearly she was becoming more and more frustrated as the duel progressed. Zeph seemed prepared for the other at any angle as she tried to break through his compex defenses.

"Geez, woman, you don't let anyone _breathe_. I thought we were sparring not actually fighting," Zeph complained when he caused her to back off with a frenzied attack of his own.

"I don't see the difference. How are we supposed to prepare for a real fight if I'm going easy on you."

"Valid point," Zeph said, "But all this preparation will be for nothing if you manage to injure me."

"That's what apple gels are for. Now focus!" Cecil shouted before she was advancing towards him again with surprising speed.

It was obvious that Zeph was not prepared for the sudden burst of speed and could not bring his defenses up enough to fully block her next striking attack. Zeph fell to the ground in obvious pain. After executing her latest attack, she was still turned away from the other.

"I was going easy on you. Usually, that particular move would have left you sliced in half."

"How thoughtful," Zeph managed to say through gritted teeth as he slowly sat up.

"You're slacking, Zeph; you should have already consumed an apple gel and been attacking me again. Enemies don't wait for you to lick your wounds."

"I know-I'm calling it quits for the day," Zeph said, Leona watched as Zeph took a longer look at the wound he'd been given. It was already beginning to turn the front side of his kimono red. He took an apple gel and the redness ceased its spreading. "Apple gels might heal you, but they do nothing for the pain...And that was a pretty deep cut."

"Is that complaining I hear? You'll get a lot less sympathy from your opponents. In case you noticed, we won't have any healers around to hold your hand, you're on your own when it comes to your wellness."

"Yes, I suppose so," Zeph said climbing to his feet slowly.

He did, in fact, look spent. It was then that Leona made herself known as she came from behind the tree.

"Great fight you two even though I came at the tail end," Leona said to the two combatants.

"Really?" Zeph asked with a smile, "And here I thought I was failing miserably."

"You were," Cecil declared as she turned to the two, "But you've improved. I see going to those tournaments have proved beneficial. Last time we fought you were hardly an adequate spar partner."

Zeph laughed, "I remember that time. You challenged me quite some time ago and I didn't think you were serious-I mean, who goes around doing things like that?"

"You had a sword and I wanted to see if you could use it. Clearly you couldn't," Cecil proclaimed.

"Clearly, I'd not fought a person quite like her. Dad 'trained' us, but not that intensively. He made sure we knew technique because he believes that to be the most important. The rest, he said, comes with practice and experience."

"That sounds just like him," Leona said. She couldn't imagine someone as laid back as Zelos seriously training someone else. That he knew how to wield a sword was a conundrum in itself. Leona wondered what kind of student he'd been in the past.

"And," Zeph continued, "She tried to challenge Eros, but he ignored her. Well," Zeph said thoughtfully, "I suppose 'ignore' is the wrong word."

"Shut-up!" Cecil shouted though her cheeks had become rosy, "It's not an experience I'd like to hear spoken out loud. But," she said looking away, "he's surprisingly quick on his feet and that's advantageous in battle."

"Hm, I wonder where he is now? I haven't seen him all day," Zeph said casually, but something told Leona that it was specifically for Cecil's sake.

"Where _is_ that bastard," Cecil growled, "I bet I know what he's doing-or more like _who_. I swear I'll drag him out on his ass if I find him!" She declared loudly as she marched off into the village, emotions high.

Leona looked on in a confused manner and then back at Zeph who had a grin on his face.

"That would be called siccing Cecil on Eros."

"How exactly does that work," Leona asked curiously.

The two of them had begun to walk forth on a well beaten path that went across the main part of the village. They walked at a leisurely pace.

"You see, it all started out when Eros asked Cecil out on a date."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Leona said, "Then Cecil outright refused him, right?"

"You're getting pretty good at this-yep, she did and then proceeded to beating the crap out of him."

"That sounds a bit extreme," Leona said in concern, "How was he?"

"Well, not so well. You know Cecil can be a bit extreme. Who knew she'd become that fed up over a simple question? She didn't spare his face either which I believe was the worst kind of punishment for Eros."

"And my mom came over and healed him, right?"

"Nope," Zeph shook his head, "Eros refused all help. Decided he wouldn't use anything but conventional means to heal himself. He was just in a mood, you see. Beat down by a girl and made to run back home in defeat. He was truly a pitiful sight and then he was unusually morose for a good while and then eventually he was back to his old self."

"So everything turned out fine," Leona said.

"Not quite. This 'thing' started to happen. Even though Cecil had refused, she did seem interested in him in her weird 'Cecil' way. Anytime the two happen to occupy the same town, Cecil sniffs him out like a hound dog and kindly extricates him from his 'extracurricular' activities."

"Something tells me that entire last sentence was a euphemism."

"Well, it certainly isn't pretty. She quite literally drags him away be it someone's house or out in public. I think it's hilarious, but Eros isn't amused."

"I bet he regrets ever asking her out," Leona said with a laugh.

"I would say it's a lesson learned, but it's not as if he's changed much. Besides, sometimes I think he _likes_ the attention. He did get back at her though, by refusing every single challenge she gives him. To this day, I don't think they've ever fought each other honestly and I think that drives Cecil crazy."

"A strange love story," Leona commented.

"I don't know if I'd even use the word 'love'. Both are pretty terrible at it and they have no idea what it is."

"Even Eros?" Leona asked surprised.

"Especially Eros. He doesn't know the first thing and it's painfully obvious. I'm not entirely sure he knows the distinction between love and lust."

"I see," Leona replied, "That makes sense. They are two very similar things." It was nice to know that even someone like Eros couldn't fully grasp the concept of love. At least she wasn't the only one.

Love was such a mysterious thing, unquantifiable, intangible, that Leona found that she didn't feel like spending too much time pondering over it. It was mostly headache inducing at this point. She always had to wonder if she 'liked' someone or 'loved' someone. Maybe Eros had the same dilemma. Then again, maybe not.

"I'm going to go see how Mom is doing," Zeph said after a moment, "Did you want to come?"

"No, that's alright. I would hate to interrupt something personal."

"Well, if it was personal, I wouldn't have invited you to join," Zeph said with a laugh.

"Ah, I'll just...join you in a bit," Leona finally said."

"Going to check in on your dad," Zeph asked knowingly.

"How did you-" Then she paused and let the sentence fade. Zeph could sometimes be quite perceptive.

They split ways after this. The ones who they'd brought here affected by Lucas' spell was placed in a separate hut that was actually quite spacious and comfortably housed everyone. She made her way there now. She'd check on her aunt and uncle earlier, now it was time to face her fears and do the same for her father.

She hated seeing him like this, so pallid, so still, so unresponsive. This warm person who she looked up to dearly had been responsible for taking down her companions with ease and with little regard to anyone. His eyes had been so dead and his hands filthy with other people's blood. She realized that he was much more effective using those hands than he was with his usual techniques. Maybe that was why he chose not to use them-they were too dangerous. She touched his cold hands and a look a determination crossed her face. _Don't worry, Dad, everything will be alright soon. I won't let you down._

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AN: Strangely enough, my lack of updates aside from work is because I've already been writing on chapters that will be part of "Season 2" of this story line. I'm so excited about it that I haven't even gotten around finishing this one up. At the very least, I can firmly imagine the ending to this. Get ready for lots of drama and angst

**Jinseigami'Fell** recently drew Leona for me and I put a link to it in my profile, however, for some reason, it doesn't seem to work, so I put a link to my tumblr page where I posted the pictures of all the OCs. Take a gander.


	23. Final Battles

AN: So you've made it to the sorta-ending of the story. One more chapter left. For all those who tried the links in my profile to see the pictures of the OC's, they didn't work so I left a fake link that you can put into your search box and figure out. I updated the AN in the last chapter as well, but here it is again: **ziggurat8992[place dot here]tumblr[place dot here]com**

A link to my tumblr. Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 23: Final Battles

A strong breeze pushed her hair back from her face as she walked calmly and assuredly forward. The perimeter was well guarded-everyone was in their places. In the distance she could see the shack that Sheen had mentioned before. This was where he had come to spend the night; a small dwelling that was in disrepair, incapable of keeping out the elements. A good rain would have soaked through the entire place.

"Come out, Lucas! Let's settle this peacefully!" Leona shouted so that it would cut through the wind.

Her sharp ears could hear the movement within; Sheena had been right. It wasn't long before Leona was presented with Lucas. He did not look well and he certainly didn't look like someone she should be fighting. His eyes looked haunted and his skin was even paler than hers, quite a feat considering how tanned he usually was. The clothes he wore no longer seemed to fit him properly. His weakened form began to draw pity from her, but then his face twisted into a sadistic grin.

"You came here all by your lonesome?" he asked without pretence.

"We don't have to fight if you just come with me willingly. We can end all of this right now."

Leona heard a "zing" and the flash of a blade well before her eyes registered his hand moving. The grin did not leave his face especially since she was sure he noticed her surprise at his swiftness.

"Willingly?" he said as if it was the most ridiculos word he'd heard before. "You honestly think you can stop me, don't you? There are still things that I have to do, things that I was destined to do."

"You were destined to die?" Leona asked forwardly, "Because that is all you'll achieve in the end. I don't pretend to understand your motives or your end goal-I just know that it will all end here."

"Come, Leona, do you really think you could best me in combat? Even in this state, I am more than a match for you. Seems unfair to fight someone so defenseless."

In response, she transitioned into her fighting stance, but just as she did she heard the distant cries and howls of monsters. The ground began to vibrate beneathe her bouncing feet. It felt more like a stampede was approaching.

"Lucas?" she asked uncertainly as her eyes spied a hoard of monsters coming their way. The timing was far too convenient. "I came to fight you not those things. Surely, you can honor a fair one-on-one fight."

Lucas seemed perturbed as well as his eyes made out what Leona was seeing. "I would...but it seems my benefactor has other plans." He looked at her once again. "And who am I to question her wisdom. Besides...I know you wouldn't have come here alone."

Leona advanced towards Lucas without any futher ado and her legs protected by heavy spikey diamond greaves struck nothing but his sword each time. He was simply too fast and he seemed to anticipate her moves. She tried to cut through his defenses, but they seemed impenetrable. After only a few minutes, she knew that she had bitten off more than she could chew. She was expending so much energy, rapidly and continuously attacking, forcing him on the defensive yet he did not budge and he deflected her every attempt at dismantling him with practiced ease.

He was always just out of reach. He was always one step ahead of her. Then he became increasingly evasive when the horde of black creatures was upon them. She couldn't prevent him from disappearing into the fray. Now she had to focus on the immediate threat. Luckily, she did not have to face them alone. Already she could hear the throngs of arrows coming out of the surrounding bushes-Sheena's forces.

Leona had wanted to settle things on her own terms, but now she required the help of everyone. She was joined by Zeph and Eros along with their father and Cecil. The arrows were well organized and helped to cut down numbers considerably. It brought a small smile to her face knowing that some of those arrows were coming from Cathe.

"Thank you, everyone," Leona said to herself when she had a brief moment to herself.

She could hardly keep up with the other's progress as she began to focus on her enemy. Insectlike creatures scrambled about the area never making it to the trees at all. Leona found herself taking them down easily one by one. She remembered the time when she'd first met such a creature and had been too shocked to even fight back properly. Dark blood splattered about everywhere as sword ripped flesh and well placed kicks bashed through tough exterior.

Leona, however, was not immune to their attacks. Simply by the sheer number of enemies, a few were able to get in a few lucky hits, but it was nothing she couldn't push through on her own. She wasn't sure how long the brawl lasted, but eventually all the creatures were taken down and she stood together with the other four catching their breaths. She glanced at Zelos and was relieved to see that he was just fine. He grinned when he noticed her glance. She prayed his strength would last.

Lucas was nowhere to be found. Had he escaped once again? That would have been beyond annoying. All that work of finding him only for him to slip through their fingers.

"Bravo, bravo, brave warriors!" Leona could immediately identify the voice as belonging to Arcangela.

They looked up to see her levitating above them. Small black particles began to float upwards and for a sickening moment Leona thought that they were all being attracted to Lucas. If even one creature could cause immense pain, what could hundreds do? Instead, the particles flowed towards Arcangela's confident form. Somehow she was directing them towards herself.

"I'm glad I can finally meet you all together. Now I can finally get rid of this headache in one fell swoop!"

Her arms spread about her and the particles all began to attach to her skin until she became blackened. They covered her completely and then a black ooze began to drip from her as her form began to change. Her body began to contort and expand larger and larger first becoming longer and thicker until finally sprouting a darkened horned reptilian head with large, overbearing wings-a dragon.

Its roar was so loud and earsplitting that for almost a minute their hearing was lost and they stumbled back in pain and shock. There was a ringing in her ears afterwards, her eyes clenched shut as it reverberated through her head relentlessly. When she was finally able to function again, she found that she was alone.

"Zeph, everyone!" Leona shouted as she saw them sprawled on the ground by some great force.

She ran over to them and determined that they were still breathing but they were unconscious. There was no movement otherwise until she heard a groan from Zelos. Slowly and painfully he sat up. The air felt heavy. It was as if gravity had increased tenfold yet she could move freely. Zelos was not so lucky. She came over to him quickly.

"This weight that we're feeling...," Zelos began slowly, "Arcangela...she did something with the atmosphere..."

"I don't understand," Leona said shaking her head.

"You might not feel it at all...It's like what I felt in the Temple of Darkness, a dark presence but to a much larger, grander degree. I wish I could be of help-but I can hardly move."

Leona heard the great dragon flapping its wings behind her, but she tried to ignore it, tried to ignore her mounting fear. Zelos' determined gaze caught her.

"I can't do this alone," Leona said shaking her heard.

"Hold out your hand," Zelos hissed. She did so obediantely. He placed his hand on it and soon she felt a warm energy flowing through her. A rush of fiery hot energy took her by surprise.

"What are you-

"Take her down, Leona-I know you can do it."

Before she could even begin to contemplate what had taken place, he fell forward as he grew limp and his breathing slowed. "Alright," Leona said softly as she held him, "I'll defeat her...but you have to promise me not to die."

"It's...a deal," Zelos replied weakly.

Leona laid him down gently and then turned to the massive dragon. It roared once again causing her to stagger, but she still she ran forth as fast as she could. The dragon was large and she was tiny in comparison. If she could get enough distance between herself and the dragon, then perhaps there would be enough time to pull off the move she'd just then imagined in her mind.

She was bursting with energy now as she sped past the swirling dragon. Her hands were already glowing, her palms were burning now as she felt light energy seeping from her very pores. She knew she had to attack now before she became unable to hold in the excess of magic. The dragon was coming towards her now, readying itself to swallow her whole as she stopped and turned on her heel to meet the threat.

With a heartfelt yell, she whipped her hands up and unleashed upon the dragon a massive ball of light energy. She'd never felt so exhilerated before in her life as mana flowed from her very being into one concentrated ball of light energy. She couldn't even think of a name for the colossal attack, she simply let it rip. When it met the creature, her entire world went white.

* * *

She thought she heard Lucas' voice, but she couldn't be sure. Slowly she became aware of her body being shaken by another. Yes, it was Lucas, frantically shouting her name asking if she was alright. It must have been a dream. He didn't care for her well-being, he didn't care about anyone. Yet she still put effort into opening her eyes to find Lucas above her.

"You're awake," he said in relieved tones.

She sat up slowly, "Wh-what happened? Is everyone alright?"

He grew quiet when she asked this. "Arcangela...she's gone I think. I don't know how you did it..."

He stood up and held a hand out to her. She hesitated and then took it-he pulled her up easily. Why was he acting so differently? Had she done it? Was it all over? But he did not look any better. He appeared exhausted and gaunt. Could it be that her light elemental mana had already struck him and that he was recovering?

"Lucas, have you...are you...back to normal?"

He stepped back from her then and all within a second his sword was out once again. "I didn't mean for any of this happen. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, but-

"It doesn't matter your intentions," Leona said shaking her head, "What matters is what has happened. How can you still follow a woman who would make you do all of this? What does she have over you?"

"Nothing. She asked me to help her save the world and I accepted."

"And you believed her? Why didn't you ask for help?"

"I wanted to-believe me I wanted to," Lucas said with desperation, "But I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to put anyone else in harm's way. I didn't want to ask anyone else to bear this guilt. I could handle it on my own. You see, Leona, this world is doomed to annihilation-

"What proof do you have of that?" Leona asked forcefully. She wanted to understand.

"From a dream," Lucas said, "A dream that I kept having over and over again. But it was like no other. It felt real, Leona. I could _feel_ my very flesh tearing from its bones. A meteor that would impact this world so completely that life would cease to exist. I couldn't...escape that dream. There was _nothing_ I could do and why would anyone ever believe me if I had no proof-just look at your expression. That's the look I would have gotten had I said something.

"But Arcangela believed me. She knew my dreams, had experienced them herself for years and had dedicated her life to preventing it. She had a plan, a hard, concrete plan that would work. She insisted that it would. I might have hesitated in the beginning, I might have hated what that plan entailed, but I knew I would hate myself more if I did absolutely nothing, sacrificed the world because her plan wasn't wrapped in a nice, convenient bow. Everything would have worked out in the end. I wasn't trying to subjugate the masses, I was preparing them for the next step. A spell that Arcangela had perfected that could weave one's thoughts into reality. If everyone held the exact same image in their mind-a barrier to protect Aselia-that barrier would then be powerful enough to deflect that meteor. There was always a way to return them all to normal. It would have worked...but now she's gone."

Leona's eyes widened at this. Did they all have it wrong? Had they just doomed this world?

"But why?" Leona said quietly, "Why was it just you two who had those dreams?"

"I don't...I don't know," he said hesitantly. "That was never something that could be explained."

"What if those dreams were sent to you by her? What if she was manipulating you this whole time?"

"No," he said stolidly, "What purpose would that serve?"

"What if she knew what kind of person you were, only told you things that you wanted to hear so that she could use you for her own ends?"

"No!" he said angrily, "Impossible. You wouldn't understand-you never experienced them like I did."

Leona's eyes grew softer at this. She was beginning to see the bigger picture even if it wasn't yet completed. Lucas, the son of Lloyd Irving, the man who had reunited the world. Lloyd's name was well known throughout the world. She'd read details of how replicas of his statues had been erected in several places, well-crafted imitation swords of the same that Lloyd was reported to have used in the final battle costed millions of gald to attain, how every man, woman and child knew of him and his deeds. Lucas would have been an easy target for someone like Arcangela to latch onto, someone who was independent, well-traveled and related to the great hero. Use some old prophecy that vaguely indicated him, and concoct some sort of scenario that could lure a person like Lucas into her trap, a very well scripted trap.

"I think I understand now..." Leona began.

"Then help me-this is the only way we can stop this disaster."

He honestly believed what he was saying. He stood there with his sword pointed at her, telling her all these ludicrous things that felt real to him, but only to him. It made sense in his mind, but Leona was able to see the truth.

"I'm sorry, but I have to stop you," Leona said plainly, "Maybe one day you'll be able to see the error you have made."

She still had a modicum of mana left. Thanks to Zelos' energy, she still had some to spare. She brought her hands up preparing to gather the last of her mana, but then she stopped abruptly when she felt the sharp tip of his broad sword upon her abdomen. It would only take a simple push on his part and she'd be rammed through, slicing through vital organs that would kill her before she could manage to consume an apple gel. She closed her eyes and waited for the moment of her death.

Yet it never came. Her eyes opened slowly. She no longer felt the sword, but she did see his trembling hands, his resolve broken.

"I can't..." he said shakily. He looked away from her.

"Of course not," Leona said drawing his attention. Her voice was steady. "You could never kill a friend in cold blood."

There was a look of surprise on his face, but then it was replaced with one of confusion as his brow furrowed. "I've been trying to stop you and your friends this whole time by any means necessary-now is no different."

"But it is," Leona said calmly. "Arcangela is no longer here. She's not here to cloud your mind. Who was it that wanted us dead? I can't imagine you came up with it all on your own."

He pulled his sword back and tossed it away a good distance. "You wouldn't attack a defenseless man, would you?" he asked completely disregarding her last statement.

"Sorry," Leona said as she began to gather her energy once again, "But I have a mission as well that I must accomplish. I have to end this here or else this would all be for nothing."

Even if Lucas had decided to run, he would have been struck down. The energy was locked on to him.

"Photon!" Leona shouted as an arch of light magic formed above him, "Ray!" she ended and it fell upon him instantly.

He hadn't tried to moved at all. He took the full brunt of the attack and he could not withstand the force as it knocked him out fairly quickly. She fell to her knees after exhausting so much of her mana. She only hoped that the others would be fine and that Arcangela's latest move didn't have a lasting effect.

She struggled back to her feet and made her way back to Zelos, the only one who had managed to stay conscious after Arcangela's initial attack. She was relieved to find him still alive just as he had promised.

"Thank you, Zelos," Leona said to him quietly as she looked down at him.

He didn't bother answering her verbally, but she did see the relief in his eyes.

"What about everyone else?" Leona asked as if he had all the answers. It might as well had been a rhetorical question.

She sat down beside him and watched the darkening skies in the far off distance. The wind had picked up considerably, but she was decidedly calm. In the end, their plan had worked. Arcangela was nowhere to be seen and Lucas would not be a danger to anyone in a long time. It had left both sides crippled, but Leona supposed that it was a fitting conclusion.

* * *

Arcangela's last move had left their group near bereft of all energy, but they had all collectively worked through the effects. Leona wondered why she hadn't been effected as thoroughly as the others but something told her that she wouldn't know the answer to that for a long time yet and that's if there was even one to be found.

Sheena's scouts had painstakingly scoured the area later that day and found no body of Arcangela. The fact didn't sit well with Leona, but there was nothing more she could do. Before the brewing storm could reach them, they made it back to Mizuho. Celebration might have been in order, but everyone was too tired to actually do it-a fact that Leona found oddly humorous. It certainly wasn't anything like how the endings were to other tales such as these-not that she'd read many.

It rained cats and dogs the very next day giving everyone further excuse to stay inside. She didn't hear from Zelos, but she she spent an incredible amount of time with the others: Cathe, Cecil, and the twins until she thought she was going stir-crazy. Leona must have learned several hundred new games during that time. At the very least she was getting to know them all like never before. Every once and a while Sheena would join them as well just to spice things and probably out of boredom.

They were all waiting for Raine's return. In the back of their minds, they were all worried about her, wondering where she might be, and wondering if she'd make it back in time to save the others who were still yet under Lucas' mysterious spell.


	24. Forgotten Moments

AN: That's right it's a quick update, but I had this chapter mostly finished ages ago ;) Anyways, Merry Christmas/[insert holiday name] everyone and have a safe and fun holiday!

* * *

Chapter 24: Forgotten Moments

Leona took it upon herself to watch over Lucas. He'd made it clear to everyone that he simply wanted to be left alone, but she simply could not. He slept in a separate hut from everyone else and for two days now she snuck up to the open entrance to look in on him. Every night she was presented with the same pitiful scene. His dreams were obviously filled with terror as he grimaced and moaned in his sleep. Unable to find a comfortable position, he tossed and turned at regular intervals-these were not restful sleeps. His coloring had not improved and he always appeared tired and in pain.

She gasped and then covered her mouth to mute her own noise when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned back and found herself looking at Zelos with two day's growth of hair about his chin, mouth, and jawline. He'd recovered well from Arcangela's debilitating attack. It was more than what she could say about Lucas...

"Zelos..." she managed to say. "W-what are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask the same thing of you," he replied smoothly with a brief grin, a crinkle on the corner of his mouth.

She didn't want to answer him. Then again, the answer seemed obvious as she looked away from the redhead to the not-so-silently suffering Lucas.

"I wish there was something I could do," she said instead.

Zelos sighed deeply and then came to stand beside her. "Sometimes there isn't much we can do. Don't blame yourself. The choices that Lucas made were his own."

Leona closed her eyes. "How can you stand there so...calmly? Lucas could have been any one of us. He was manipulated, used, and he believed he was doing the right thing-even now."

"You really believe that?" Zelos asked. "Do you think you could be manipulated by Arcangela?"

"Sleep deprivation can wreck havoc on the mind. Seeing the same message over and over again..."

"Yes, but you obviously have the capacity to use magic far more efficiently than Lucas could ever hope and probably without killing yourself. Arcangela had to go through a lot to prepare Lucas. She could have used you in the same way she used Lucas."

Leona looked over at the other wide-eyed. She never thought of it like that.

"Yet she focused on Lucas," Zelos continued, "Despite the effort it might take for him to perform those artes. Why do you think that is?"

"I don't...I don't know."

Zelos gave a light "Hm" before turning to leave. "Lucas would benefit from being around a person like you. He has a...difficult road ahead of him."

Leona watched the other leave and then turned back to the fitfully resting Lucas. She could only bear to watch for a few more minutes before she finally left to look in on her father. She dreaded the moment in which she'd see him again, awake. Assumingly, he'd be alright and then her life could return to normal.

She traversed to the hut which housed those who were under the influence of Lucas' spell. There was Mr. Lloyd, Uncle Genis, Aunt Presea, and her father all in separate beds since there was enough to spare. Lloyd looked the worst out of all them, his breathing short and quick-he seemed to have lost weight as well. His skin had a sickly green tinge to it. Hopefully her mother would be along soon...Uncle Genis and Aunt Presea appeared to be peacefully sleeping albeit they looked as stiff as cardboard. Finally she stopped on her father and stood by his bedside. His breathing was becoming more and more ragged in the same way as Lloyd, but he appeared healthy enough though his skin seemed a bit gray. She stared at him, willing him to wake up, but she knew it was a silly notion. Why should her father wake before anyone else and why on his own volition? She reached down and touched his hand and was taken aback by how cold they felt. She bent down to gently kiss his brow before deciding to leave them in peace and return to her bed.

* * *

It wasn't until the fourth day when her mother came back and she was quite exhausted. She reassured Leona that she was perfectly alright just a bit spent from the repetition of the complex spell. She further relayed to her that on the way back she went to check on Felix and noted that his condition had not changed and that his parents were understandably concerned, but taking good care of him. Leona's fists had clenched up subconsciously when she heard the news. When would they be through with Arcangela's schemes? And why was the one person other than her parents she had managed to connect with at some deeper level constantly unavailable to talk to? Felix probably knew her better than anyone else and yet she felt the farthest apart from him. If only she knew the whereabouts of Arcangela...

Raine promptly rested for the remainder of the day while Leona lollygagged around the small village.

* * *

It had turned into some sort of ceremony with all the adults and youths in attendance and Lucas notably missing. They couldn't all fit in the hut and Raine wanted some space so she demanded that everyone stay outside. Clearly her mother was a bit agitated, her pregnancy becoming more and more apparent. Even Leona wasn't excluded from her mood-swings. She waited outside along with the rest of them.

An eternity seemed to pass, but in reality it had only taken Raine a little over twenty minutes to despell them. Leona didn't expect the results to be immediate and suspected that she'd have to wait longer-suddenly she heard her mother cry out and just like that she was running in, her mind automatically thinking the worst had happened. _Please don't hurt her father..._

She found her mother not in any physical pain, but crying nonetheless and her father sitting up perfectly fine, but with perhaps one of the most confused expressions she'd ever witnessed on his face before. Without even thinking twice, she came to her and hugged her. Perhaps it was another mood-swing overtaking her. Maybe she was simply overjoyed to have Regal back, but something told her as she held her tearful mother that those tears were not of happiness.

Something felt odd about the whole thing. Her mother was crying and her father had yet to lift a finger do anything about it. It was possible he was still a bit disoriented, but still. Leona glanced back at the man. He seemed concerned, but not in his usual fashion.

The others had joined her now: Sheena, Zelos, the twins, Cathe, Cecil, Ludovic, and Colette.

"Dad?" Leona asked despite herself, "Are you alright? Why is she crying?"

"What did you...call me?" he asked strangely as if everything was foreign to him.

"Dad," Leona repeated.

He looked from the crying woman to her and then shook his head slowly. "This must be some elaborate dream..."

"What are you talking about?" Leona asked.

"Leona," her mother finally managed through her tears, "He doesn't...he doesn't remember us at all."

"What?" Leona said sharply and then looked back to him quickly. "You know who I am, Dad, right?" In a tone that suggested that the answer was obvious.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."

"No, I think I'd know my dad when I see him and you're him. Do you even know where you are?" Leona asked.

Regal looked about the hut and then his eyes passed over the assortment of people there. His eyes returned to her. "I'm sorry, I don't. I've never been here before."

"Never?" Sheena blurted out. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Ah, well, it is difficult to say. Everything is so...cloudy."

"Then do you know your name?" Colette asked.

He turned to the concerned looking blonde woman. "Yes, of course."

Everyone waited for him to confirm this by saying it and it took him a moment to realize that this was the case

"Regal Bryant. It's the name I've had for as long as I can remember."

Now everyone made noises of relief which clearly amused him from the expression he wore. Leona kept looking at him hoping that he would return her gaze with a knowing one. There was a heavy air of despondency that was beginning to take over her the longer she thought about the situation. What if he always remained this way? What if she'd lost her father the moment the spell was cast upon him? What of the unborn child?

Her mother pulled away from her and straightened herself up-she'd recovered somewhat, but her eyes were still red-rimmed.

"Perhaps it will take some time for things to begin to make more sense to you," Raine said. "After all, Lucas changed you a bit more drastically than the others. If the spell can be lifted, then I'm sure in time your memories would return as well."

"I do hope so," he replied as he looked at the half-elf. "I'm sorry for-

"No," Raine said interrupting him. "Stop apologizing for something you have no control over-you do that too much. It won't make the situation any less painful. I think it would be a good idea if I simply...gave you some space."

Raine left abruptly and they parted the way to let her through. It did seem as if her father had wanted to say something, but then decided to keep it to himself for the time being. The others took a page out of Raine's book and asked him no further questions. Besides, the other three were beginning to wake up as well.

Leona pretended to have all her attentions on the other three as well. Colette and the children were particularly glad for Lloyd-he came to after her Uncle and Aunt. Leona gave them polite smiles so that she could appear welcoming, but her mind was elsewhere. She knew they would be fine-her mother had seen to it. After performing the same ritual so many times, Leona assumed her mother to be an expert by then. Leona knew already that they would not suffer the same memory lapses. She remembered the murderous look in her father's eyes-they had turned him into a completely different person, into a person she could not even fathom him being. The others were luckier. Lucas wasn't given the chance to do such a cruel thing to them.

_Lucas..._ she thought to herself with unabashed anger.

She knew anger itself was not a good thing to have, but it was difficult to ignore or quell. Besides, hadn't she been concerned for his health before? Hadn't she felt sorry for his manipulation? _But still...Why did you do this? Why did you never ask yourself if you were really doing the right thing? How could you trust some stranger so wholeheartedly?_ It was mind-boggling. The kind of unconditional trust that Lucas had given to the woman no matter how manipulative she could be remained puzzling in her mind. She'd never been in that position so she supposed she'd never fully understand.

She watched her father out the corner of her eye. He eventually climbed off the bed and exited the hut and nobody but her seemed to notice. It was then that Lloyd proclaimed that he was starving and for once her uncle was in agreement with him for something. Clearly everyone else was in a good mood as they laughed at their antics. Leona, on her part, gave a brief smile.

Their good mood began to rub her the wrong way. She wanted to feel sad and she wanted to do so on her own. She parted from the group as well and found a place behind the hut where she could peacefully wallow in her despondency. She hadn't known how much time had passed until Eros interrupted her tranquility.

"So there you are. Hiding right under our noses."

Leona didn't even bother looking at him. "Did you want something?"

"Ah, so formal!" he said stepping closer to her. "Dance with me, perhaps I can change your sadness into happiness."

"Sorry, I don't feel like being 'swept off my feet' and there's no music to dance to," Leona said quickly. She wished he would leave her be.

"I didn't come here to do that and music isn't required," he answered crisply.

Leona finally looked at him to see if, in fact, he still had the same effect on her as he had in the past. Unfortunately, she'd grown used to his appearance and his eyes lacked the inhuman sparkle from before. Pretty though they were, they were also mundane, no more astonishing than than the greenness of grass. He held his hand out to her and she finally took it.

She found herself not being held intimately, but in a formal, classical way. She was no stranger to this sort of dancing.

"Just follow my lead," Eros said when she was unclear as to where to start.

That is exactly what she did. Where his feet went she followed until there was strangely enough some sort of rhythm she could follow. She could imagine some slow, mellow song they were dancing to.

"This is silly," she said after a moment, a smile somehow making its way to her face. "But I suppose we're doing quite well without music."

"See there, I knew I could make you smile."

She had to hold back her laugh so that his point wouldn't be made so easily, resulting in an even bigger smile much to her annoyance.

"Just shut-up and let me enjoy this moment," she said looking away from his face.

"Oh? Are you enjoying yourself?"

She didn't bother with an answer, but it was obvious nonetheless. She wouldn't say that she was being swept off her feet, but it was something like that. She wanted to be close to someone, anyone, but her parents weren't exactly the ideal candidates nor was Eros for that matter. He was, however, available. She didn't feel like contemplating the other's motives or the consequences of opting to hold him closer to her, her arms on his shoulders now. She thought his hesitance odd as he tentatively let his arms come across her back. Eventually she let her head lay upon his chest, she noted that he was the perfect height for such things. She wanted to feel what she assumed would be his slow, calming heartbeats, but they were nowhere near. In fact, it felt more frantic than anything else. Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked back up at him concerned. She realized suddenly that his cheeks were quite rosy. _Oh, he's blushing...did I do something I shouldn't have? _He must have read her concerned expression and spoke before she could say a word.

"Leona...you're being so forward."

"Sorry, I don't mean to be...Does this mean you won't hold me like this anymore?"

"W-well-" he began

_I should probably just stop..._

"Please, don't stop," she interrupted him.

_But today I feel a bit selfish..._

She laid her head back down upon him, basking in his warmth, guiltily but with pleasure. They had ceased any pretense of dancing and they were simply standing there. And then a thought came to her mind that would not go away. She closed her eyes but it whispered in the back of her mind and eventually she was overcome with curiosity. She listened to his rapid heartbeats for a while longer and then looked up at him, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Yes," he implored.

Then she shook her head, instantly growing cold feet. What was she thinking, wanting to ask someone to do such an intimate thing? She realized suddenly that no one would stop her or admonish her. She could do whatever she pleased and it would be for her benefit and her benefit alone.

"Tell me," he said with subtle desperation. "You can tell me anything."

She sighed. "I was just wondering what it would feel like to be kissed."

"There's only one way to find out," he said, his mouth curving a bit into a smile.

"But," she said looking away, "I don't want you to take it the wrong way; I don't-" She quieted when he moved to place an index finger on her lips.

Before long she felt herself in a full-on kiss. It didn't last for too long, she pulled back when she felt she had her fill. She pulled away from him as well and he took his arms from around her so that she could do as much.

"Well?" he asked her after a moment when she was completely mute.

"It was pleasant and strange. The romance novels oversell it. But it's also...exactly how I imagined it would be."

Eros grinned at the other. "I think it would be better if I took that as a compliment."

"Take it as you will," she said with a shrug. She had simply told him what she thought without regard to anyone else.

"But," he began, his voice became a bit quieter, "You won't know how it really feels unless it's with someone you're actually attracted to, someone you want with every fiber of your being."

"Is it possible to want someone _that_ badly?" she asked.

"Of course," he said with a smile. "It happens all the time."

"Even to you?" Leona asked.

"Even to me," he said with a laugh, "But apparently only with girls that are utterly unattainable."

She looked at him questionably.

"Believe it or not, I did come here for a reason other than cheering you up," he said completely changing the subject. "Mom and Colette, just put the finishing touches on a great big feast they managed to put together on short notice and-

"Hey! You better not be trying to do anything funny!" Cecil's angry voice cut in from a short distance.

Leona hadn't even heard her approach.

"Speak of the devil," Eros said aloud.

Her golden hazel eyes seemed trained on Eros, he was likely the target for all her aggression at the moment.

"You've been out for a while and Mom said to come back quickly. We're all _waiting_ for you and Dad's gonna starve to death, I swear!"

"Sorry! I was just-

"No, no more talking. There's no telling what that vile tongue of yours could trick someone into doing."

Cecil was practically dragging him along before he could get a word in edgewise and Leona followed with laughter on her face.

* * *

Leona was warm and full after all the food and people. She felt she had loosened up quite a bit and joined in on the conversation several times. Her mother had been there as well in better spirits than before. Regal was nowhere to be found and later her mother said that he had chosen to take his food elsewhere. Her mother seemed more understanding than she. Leona supposed having to deal with an entire room of strangers would have been trying especially since they all apparently knew more about him than he did himself. She'd been thrust into that situation not too long ago, but perhaps the circumstances were different.

The adults lollygagged at the table, but she eventually excused herself being the last one around her age still there. Everyone else was off doing who knows what, but Leona simply wanted to see her father. She hadn't seen him since he'd left the hut. She found him quickly enough in the living room having just finished off his own plate. He truly did savor his food at every meal. Everyone else had been done long ago. It was always something her mother couldn't resist picking at him about at the dinner table. Of course, that didn't stop him from doing it. She smiled inwardly.

"Regal?" Leona said drawing his attention when she was close enough. She'd decided she would address him this way until such time he remembered her.

He tensed up a little when she said his name and in fact, he appeared startled when he looked at her. Perhaps she'd caught him in the middle of something.

"Oh, hello. Have you been standing there long?"

She shook her head no. "I just...wanted to see how you were doing."

"You wanted to see if I remembered you," he said with a gentle smile.

Leona wondered if she was truly that transparent to him or if he was simply really good at guessing things right. "I hadn't seen you in a while. I just thought..."

"Would you like to sit down?" he asked her politely.

Leona moved closer to the couch he'd been sitting on and then after another brief moment sat down beside him. It was a couch long enough to fit three people and she sat the furthest from him with her hands placed in her lap. She'd become a bit nervous. She hadn't thought everything through when she so desperately wanted to see how he was doing. What exactly would she say to him? She'd long since known that she was no good at making someone else feel better, at least not consciously. _Should I say something?_ she wondered as the silence grew between them. Then Leona felt his eyes on her and she considered returning his gaze.

"You look just like her," Regal began.

Now Leona was looking at him though with a questioning expression.

He must have caught on to her silent "_Who?"_. "Just like my mother," he expounded.

Leona realized at that moment that she hadn't the slightest clue what her grandmother looked like not on her father's side and certainly not on her mother's. Family in general seemed like some deep dark secret; the topic had never once been broached with either of her parents. Now it seemed, she need only look in a mirror and know at least the appearance of one grandparent.

"I wouldn't know," Leona said as the other continued to gaze at her. "You never talk about her or anyone like that, Regal."

"Please, you don't have to refer to me like that."

"Are you okay with me calling you 'Dad'-do you remember-

"No, it's just painfully obvious to me that you are who you say you are and I'm sure it must be awkward for you."

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's alright, really," he reassured her.

"You're not just saying that just to be nice, are you? I'm perfectly fine with not calling you that."

"We're going around in circles," he said with a small grin. "Neither one of us wants to make the other feel uncomfortable." He looked away from her after a moment. "Your grandmother was a gentle, kind soul. She saw the world differently than most. I aspired to be just like her."

_That explains a lot about his personality_, she thought to herself.

"But I'm afraid I fell short in my pursuit," he continued.

"What do you mean? I think your mother would have been proud of you."

"You're far too kind," he said shaking his head. "I followed in my father's footsteps and I didn't have the strength to turn away from that path. From the moment I was born, I was groomed to take over my father's position in the company that he founded. I was told the story over and over again how much work he had put into the company, how he started from the very bottom and made it into the prosperous empire it is today by his own wit and ingenuity. Of course, he embellished the details-no one becomes that successful without help from others, but as a boy I believed every word. I wanted to impress him and I wanted to become perfect in all the capacities he asked of me. Yet, I fell short of that as well."

"Once again, Dad, I see no reason why he'd have any problems with how you've ran the company thus far. I may not know a lot about the business, but I've never heard a bad word about it."

"Is that so?" Regal asked curiously.

"From my understanding," she replied.

"When I first took the reigns from my father, it seemed I could do nothing right. Everyday, my father would be there to tell me what I did wrong."

"Your father sounds like a real charmer," Leona said with a frown.

"He was," Regal replied, leaving Leona wondering if he'd caught her sarcasm. "To the outside world, he could talk anyone into doing anything. He was well-loved by quite a few people."

"And by you, I assume?"

"The moment I found out my father had passed away I was...relieved and then I felt guilty for feeling that way. My life up until that point had been scripted out for me. There were no decisions of my own to make. I didn't cry at the funeral and I never felt the need to do so even when I visited his grave from time to time. Perhaps it was sad that he died in general, but I can't deny how sweet freedom actually felt like."

"And what about your mother? Is she still alive?" Leona asked, hope clearly in her tone.

"Sorry, I'm afraid not. She died before my father."

Leona was surprised by this. She would have liked to meet such a woman.

"She was like a flower, trapped in a tiny container with no holes. She wilted and then died, the cause of her death unknown. I went to go check on her one day when I noticed I hadn't seen her in awhile and she laid in her bed, stiffened, ice cold and beginning to smell..."

Leona's face scrunched up imagining what that must have been like walking into that kind of scene. "Dad! Why was she left alone for so long?" Then immediately she felt guilty about her tone. These were things that happened in the past and he had had a long time to regret and mourn. There was a pained look on his face.

"By that time, I spent less and less time with her. She was almost always in the house and yet I could go for days not seeing her. Our last meeting was cut short because I simply was too 'busy' with my studies. She died because she was lonely and miserable. Father had her on a short leash. He was a paranoid man who kept her hidden from the world. He had also wanted more children from her, but for one reason or another it never happened and he had had to suffice with just me. He wanted children not because he loved them but because then his legacy would be made more secure. If something befell me, then there would be some other person to take my place.

"She couldn't go very far from the house and whenever she tried, my father would grow beyond jealous when other men would so much as glance in her general direction."

"That's awful!" Leona said unable to hold in her emotion. "Couldn't she have...you know, divorced him? Find some other place to stay?"

"Things were different back then. She had come from poverty and had no support other than my father. It would have been difficult for her to make a decent living on her own. She had no formal education and my father kept it that way. A divorced woman would have been looked down upon especially if it did not appear outwardly that it was warranted. People can see physical abuse, but the emotional kind is only seen by those closest. No one would have understood."

Leona looked to the wooden floor of Sheena and Zelos's house. "I think I know why you never told me this story before."

"Why is that?" Regal asked.

"It's depressing."

"Oh, well..." he said quietly, "It wasn't all bad. One tends to focus on the negative before the positive in hindsight. I don't remember feeling sad all the time. There was always so much to learn, so many people to meet, so many things I had to do right. I was more restless than anything else and I was too young to realize everything happening around me. I did not completely grasp the meaning of my mother's death or my father's overbearing ways. Those were the only parents I had and the environment had always been that way for better or worse. How could I become sad over something that was simply the norm? But I would never wish that kind of childhood on anyone especially not for my own daughter."

His eyes were on her again. She turned and then smiled at him. "Don't worry, that's not what happened with me at all. In fact, I aspire to be just like you."

"Just like me?" he asked worriedly.

"Don't sell yourself short. Besides, you haven't remembered everything yet. A lot must have happened since then. You met all these other people. You went on-well, I suppose I'm saying too much. It would be better if you recalled on your own. But...a lot has happened, life-changing events I suspect."

"I suspect as well. They seem like kind people who know each other well. I couldn't picture myself fitting in so well into such a group. How would I have met them? What would have been the circumstances?"

"Even I don't know the full story to that. I just know what happened during that time. I suppose it was the only part of your life you felt was worth retelling."

"It's all rather intriguing," he said with a sigh, sitting back on the couch, "But I think I've done enough reminiscing for one night. That's where my clear memories stop and everything else becomes foggy. I know that there's much more, but..." he trailed as he closed his eyes either in exhaustion or contemplation. She supposed it was the former when he stifled a yawn.

Either way, she knew she'd reached the end of the conversation indicated by his silence. She heard another sound in the living room. When she looked up and saw her mother, Leona wondered how long the other had been there.

"I had no idea you were so good at getting people to talk," her mother said in low tones so that she wouldn't disturb her father. "He's never said as much to me. I think talking things out will help him recover his memories."

Leona was surprised to hear this. It seemed she wasn't the only one left in the dark when it came to family. Even between her parents it was left as an untouched topic. She left with her mother out of the room as the day was drawing to a close.

She felt better about her predicament now. Even without his complete memories, he still felt like the same person and it wasn't as if he disliked her. She believed that slowly he would regain his memories. Only time would tell and Leona was more than willing to help him along the way. But more than that, Leona felt that questions about her family would soon be answered. Though he still seemed the same, this person seemed more willing to reveal things about himself. Perhaps this entire incident was a blessing in the skies.

Leona stepped outside of the house as she felt restless that night. Looking up at the sky, she noted the fullness of the moon and the brightness of the stars. In a traditional village such as this, these features were much easier to see. Even without the streetlamps, the night wasn't nearly as dark as she expected it would be. The temperature was perfect-a reminder that summer was finally coming to a close and her schooling would start once again.

She felt older somehow; wiser. All in one summer, she had contributed to the world's continued peace. No one at school would believe her if she ever retold the story. However, that wouldn't stop her from writing about it in detail when the obligatory "What did you do during Summer" prompt came up in English. She grinned to herself. The old Leona would not have wanted to rock the boat and keep things to herself, but those thoughts no longer held her back. If she'd learned anything this summer it was that truth was still truth, even if no one believed it and a lie was still a lie even if one believe it.

* * *

AN: Just wanted to let everyone know that I've already started on "Season 2" or "Part 2" or whatever it is of this story. I'm pretty excited since I've decided I'm going to be using multiple POVs as opposed to just focusing on one person. Gives me more room to give everyone including the original ToS characters more involvement.


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